Kale and Chickpeas with Curry Leaves and Crisp Coconut
Main
Ingredients
60 g virgin coconut oil
70 g freshly grated coconut
12 fresh curry leaves (ie from 1-2 stems)
1/8 teaspoon caster sugar
Salt and pepper
1 large onion peeled, halved and thinly sliced (220g net)
3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
2 dried hot red chillies roughly chopped
30 gbunch coriander leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
300 g jarred chickpeas (drained weight so from a 450g jar)
400 g kale stems removed and leaves roughly torn (250g net)
1 x 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk (70%)
2 limes – 1 juiced to get 1 tbsp, the other cut into 4 wedges
Description
Yotam Ottolenghi’s kale with chickpeas in coconut milk with curry leaf and coconut crisp.
Double up on the crisp coconut, if you like – it’s good sprinkled over salads or noodle dishes. I’ve used jarred chickpeas, because they’re softer and therefore easier to eat, but tinned or cooked from dried will also work here. Serve with rice or flatbreads to soak up all the flavourful juices.
Prep 20 min
Cook 40 min
Directions
Put the coconut oil in a medium saute pan for which you have a lid, and set it over a medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the fresh coconut and the curry leaves, and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until golden.
Drain through a small sieve set over a bowl to collect the oil, then transfer the solids to a second small bowl and, while they’re still warm, stir in the sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.
Return the drained coconut oil to the pan and turn on the heat to medium-high.
Once hot, add the onions, garlic, dried chillies and coriander stalks and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.
Stir in the mustard seeds and turmeric, cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the chickpeas and fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until they take on some colour.
Add the shredded kale in about three batches, stirring to wilt each batch for 90 or so seconds before adding the next.
Pour in the coconut milk, add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes, until the kale is nicely tender.
Take off the heat, and stir in three-quarters of the picked coriander leaves and all the lime juice.
Transfer the kale mix to a large, shallow bowl and top with the remaining coriander leaves and some of the crisp coconut mixture. Serve with the remaining coconut mix and lime wedges alongside.