Tantalizing and tasty Thai Green baked chickpea curry
Ingredients
400g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
200g block of creamed coconut
300ml boiling water
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
2-3 fresh green chillies, deseeded & chopped
1-2 level tsp ground ginger
3 tbs light soy sauce
2 limes grated & their juice
1 lev tbs coconut sugar
1 pack of fresh coriander
Half a dozen broccoli heads
Half a dozen pok choi leaves
50g of white rice per person
This delicious immune boosting healthy dish is delicious to eat at anytime of the year.
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.
Cut the coconut into chunks and place in a bowl. Then pour over with hot water and stir to dissolve.
Place the creamed coconut and all other ingredients (except the chickpeas) into a blender, reserving a little coriander for the garnish.
Blend and allow the mixture to cool.
Arrange the chickpeas in an ovenproof dish and cover with the marinade.
Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Steam cook your broccoli and pok choi & add to your baked dish 10 minutes before serving.
Serve your dish covered in sauce & decorated with fresh coriander.
Benefits
The chickpeas in this dish provide 50% of your daily potassium needs and are an excellent vegan and gluten free source. They are also packed full of iron and amino acids which our bodies need to function at optimum level of health.
It has been stated that consuming chickpeas benefits us by helping lower blood glucose levels, which may improve blood sugar levels, insulin lipid levels and therefore make a fantastic food option for people with type 2 Diabetes.
The high fiber levels along with vitamins C & B help lower the total amount of (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. The creamed coconut makes an excellent choice because not only does it create a great base for this sauce with its rich thick texture, it also contains B vitamins & medium chain fatty acids which are manly lauric acids that have so many health benefits. Ranging from antiviral to antibacterial, which work on protecting you from skin infections, yeast infections, and influenza. The fatty acids in coconut cream are also metabolized more rapidly by your liver than animal-based saturated fats, which are more likely to become fat stores. It’s also important to note that unlike animal-based saturated fats, coconut cream is cholesterol free and immune boosting.
Over the last couple of years there has been a major debate about rice and arsenic consumption because rice is grown in paddles of water and is therefore exposed to higher amounts or arsenic than plants grown in drier soils. Normally I would always recommend wholegrain, though in this instance in light of the current research white rice is going to be less toxic because the outer husk and any remnants of arsenic will be removed in the process. Arsenic has been confirmed as a toxic and carcinogenic substance and children are at greater risk than adults. In this instance insure your rice is well rinsed before cooking to help remove any toxins.
The coconut sugar offers additional vitamins and minerals compared to standard table sugar, and may have less of a dramatic impact on your blood sugar than other types of sweetener.
The delicious amalgamation of green vegetables and fresh lime juice help make this recipe a fantastic alkaline & tantalizingly tasty dish. While fresh coriander helps reduce any inflammation in the body & helps release any excess water in the body. The chilli & ginger also have excellent immune boosting & anti-inflammatory properties to protect you especially during this time of year. This dish is an excellent plant source of iron and provides a whole range of delicious spectrum of plant derived vitamins and minerals which the whole family can benefit from.
