Persian Style Chickpea Stew

If it seems I’m a bit stuck on comforting bowls of goodness you are 100% right and I don’t hear any complaints.  Are you going to argue with a heaping dose of nurturing these days?  I’m not and anyway there are certainly worse vices than obsessively cooking soup, at least in my opinion. Inspired by Alexis Gauthier’s 

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 inch of turmeric root freshly grated or ½ tea dried tumeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
• 2 veggie broth cubes
• 1 bag of baby spinach washed and trimmed
• 1 large potato Yukon Gold or Red Skinned, cubed
• 1 Medium Sweet potato, cubed
• 2 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drain one can and preserve the water of the other
• 2 handfuls or ¾ cup of raisins 
• 1 big pinch saffron threads
• Salt and Pepper
• A handful of slivered almonds
• A handful of coconut chips
• 1 big handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Prepared steamed rice ( optional)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, then add the onions, and cook over low heat very slowly to create a caramelized effect. Add saffron to a small amount of hot water in a small dish or glass, set aside to bloom. Add all of the remaining spices to onions, warming them gently for another 5-10 minutes. 

Pour coconut milk, broth cubes, and a can of chickpeas into the mixture and simmer gently for 20 minutes. In the meantime steam potato pieces until just fork tender and add along with the spinach, raisins, and saffron.  Let it sit over very low heat or cover with a lid and turn off the heat for a moment.

In a cast iron skillet toast almond and coconut chips, being quite careful not to burn.  Finely chop cilantro.  These will be your stew toppings. 

Dish stew up, add a scoop of rice and  top with coconut, almonds and fresh cilantro.  

Enjoy!