While this bakes, you will be enchanted with the aromatic mingling of nutty coconut sauce infused with lime, ginger, and curry. It is a deeply flavorful dish that is also almost effortless in preparation. Everything comes together lickety-split and you have an exotic bean entrée to serve over rice!
Yields4 ServingsPrep Time20 minsCook Time35 minsTotal Time55 mins
Ingredients
Sauce
1medium-large garlic clove
½tspsalt (optional, to taste)
3tbsplime juice (freshly squeezed, zest limes first [see below])
14ozlite coconut milk (BPA-free can)
¼cupalmond butter (raw or roasted)
½tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium, or coconut aminos)
1 ½tbspginger root (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 ½tbspred curry paste (+½ Tbsp as desired)
crushed red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
½tsporganic lime zest (zest before juicing)
Chickpea Mixture
3cupschickpeas (+1 cup as desired, homemade or BPA-free canned, drained)
1cupred pepper (diced)
1cupzucchini (diced)
¾cupgreen onion (mostly white bottom portion)
2tbspThai basil (+1 Tbsp as desired, chopped fresh, or ¼ cup chopped cilantro)
3lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2
First, prepare the sauce: In a blender, or using a deep large cup and an immersion blender, combine the garlic, sea salt if using, lime juice, coconut milk, almond butter, tamari, ginger, and curry paste. Puree well. Pour the sauce into a baking dish (8 by 12-inch, or similar size) and stir in the red pepper flakes and zest.
3
Add the chickpeas, red pepper, zucchini, green onions, and stir well. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes.
4
Then remove the foil, stir through, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered. The sauce should thicken but can become too thick, so keep an eye on it, and remove once it begins to thicken, so it doesn’t become pasty.
5
Remove from oven, stir in the fresh herbs, and add any extra seasoning to taste (e.g., salt, crushed pepper, hot sauce).
6
Serve, topping the portions with extra fresh herbs, if desired, and with a lime wedge on the side.
Chef's Notes
Nut butter Almond butter is my first choice in this recipe, but consider switching it up occasionally with natural peanut or cashew butter in place of the almond.
Vary the Vegetables Feel free to substitute other veggies in part or in whole for the red pepper and zucchini. Other veggies to consider are steamed cauliflower, steamed potatoes, and green beans.
Herbs Fresh basil or cilantro is a delicious addition to this curry. However, if you don’t have either one, the curry will still have plenty of flavor. If using, the flavor will be most vibrant when added at the end of cooking, just before serving.
Serving suggestions This is delicious served with jasmine rice! You can also try any rice you love or serve with quinoa.
3tbsplime juice (freshly squeezed, zest limes first [see below])
14ozlite coconut milk (BPA-free can)
¼cupalmond butter (raw or roasted)
½tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium, or coconut aminos)
1 ½tbspginger root (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 ½tbspred curry paste (+½ Tbsp as desired)
crushed red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
½tsporganic lime zest (zest before juicing)
Chickpea Mixture
3cupschickpeas (+1 cup as desired, homemade or BPA-free canned, drained)
1cupred pepper (diced)
1cupzucchini (diced)
¾cupgreen onion (mostly white bottom portion)
2tbspThai basil (+1 Tbsp as desired, chopped fresh, or ¼ cup chopped cilantro)
3lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2
First, prepare the sauce: In a blender, or using a deep large cup and an immersion blender, combine the garlic, sea salt if using, lime juice, coconut milk, almond butter, tamari, ginger, and curry paste. Puree well. Pour the sauce into a baking dish (8 by 12-inch, or similar size) and stir in the red pepper flakes and zest.
3
Add the chickpeas, red pepper, zucchini, green onions, and stir well. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes.
4
Then remove the foil, stir through, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered. The sauce should thicken but can become too thick, so keep an eye on it, and remove once it begins to thicken, so it doesn’t become pasty.
5
Remove from oven, stir in the fresh herbs, and add any extra seasoning to taste (e.g., salt, crushed pepper, hot sauce).
6
Serve, topping the portions with extra fresh herbs, if desired, and with a lime wedge on the side.
