Karen Wright: Easy vegan chickpea and potato curry recipe using store cupboard ingredients

Karen Wright writes: Happy new year everyone!

Veganuary is a UK non-profit making organisation that promotes veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January.

It only started in 2014 which is quite recent but of course there have been vegans for centuries.

I am neither a vegan nor a vegetarian but I am interested in the ethics and the lifestyle, and of course the recipes.

One of my favourite recipes if I am short on time or fresh ingredients is my chickpea and potato curry, it also just happens to be vegan.

Using mostly store-cupboard ingredients I can have this curry made by the time a pan of rice has cooked, so about 15 minutes!

If you have fresh ingredients handy, you can pop those in too.

Spinach is a good one or fresh potatoes rather than tinned.

I know some people think that tinned vegetables are a no-go but they can be a healthy and economical choice.

When you think about it, we eat tinned tomatoes, baked beans, mixed beans and so on all the time, so in this recipe I have used tinned potatoes.

Please feel free to use fresh potatoes or sweet potato, just ensure it is chopped small so that it cooks quickly!

To make the curry I soften a large, diced onion in olive oil and then add a squeeze each of garlic, ginger and chilli purees.

I then mix a heaped tablespoon of curry powder with a little water and add that to the pan, quickly followed by two tins of chopped tomatoes.

The mixture needs to bubble for a minute before adding a drained can of chickpeas and a large, drained can of potatoes.

I then add salt to taste and pour in a can of coconut milk.

This makes for a runny sauce at this point but I bubble it on a strong simmer without a lid on the pan to reduce the volume and thicken it.

When the consistency has thickened up it is ready to serve.

I like to top it with some lemon zest and a handful of coriander.

This quantity will serve four, however, there are only two in our house so I use the leftovers to make some totally yummy samosa style sausage rolls.

I will share the recipe with you next week.

For more tips and recipes visit: https://www.karenwrightbakes.co.uk/