Easy Chickpea and Spinach Pilaf Recipe

I feel like all I am doing in lockdown is cooking and eating. At least I am getting some photos out of it for the blog.

I’ve cooked my version of chickpea pilaf for a little while now. I usually have it at the weekend when I fancy something a bit spicy. This is how I make it. This chickpea and spinach pilaf dish serves about four, give or take how hungry you are! It’s vegetarian but can be tailored towards vegans too by substituting the natural yoghurt for a vegan alternative.

Anyway, follow the below recipe to get something that looks like this (although I’m sure yours will be much better).

Chickpea and Spinach Pilaf Ingredients

• 400g tinned chickpeas
• 100g mushrooms
• 1 x large onion
• 2 x cloves of garlic
• 100g spinach
• 120g rice (or you can use flatbreads or naans or pittas or whatever carby goodness you wish to use. Although this is then not technically a pilaf, it’s still technically tasty.)
• Natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp curry powder (whichever intensity you choose depends on how well you can tolerate your spice. I use the hot one as the natural yoghurt tones down the spiciness)

You need to use a large pan or a wok because most of the ingredients are cooked together and it gets a bit messy otherwise!

Method

1. Finely chop onion and garlic and simmer on light heat. Feel free to use any oil. I’ve tried it with coconut oil and plain old vegetable oil. Use whichever one is your personal preference!
2. Whilst the onion and garlic simmer, focus on the rice. Boil some water for it (240ml for 120g of rice) and once the water reaches the boil add the rice and simmer.
3. Add 1 tsp turmeric to onion and garlic and keep stirring.
4. Once the onion and garlic start to brown, add the mushrooms and 1tbsp curry powder.
5. After a couple of minutes once the mushrooms begin to soften, add the chickpeas and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes.
6. Lastly add the spinach and stir in until spinach has softened.
7. By this time your rice should have cooked too!

I usually serve the chickpea and spinach pilaf over rice and a dollop of natural yoghurt on the side. The yoghurt tempers the heat of the curry and it’s not a very “saucy” dish, so it adds a little more sauce and the sharp contrast is quite refreshing!

I hope you enjoyed my simple pilaf recipe! Let me know if you try it :).

Are you finding yourself cooking more often now we are all social distancing? What are you doing to keep yourself busy?

In a rush or want to save the recipe for later? Why not give it a pin?