Himalayan Chicken & Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast, diced
• 1 tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 leek, cut lengthways and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
• 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
• a massive double-handful of fresh spinach
• juice and zest of ½ a lemon
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Mix the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper together in a small pot before the hob goes on.

2. Deep pan on medium-high with a light spray of olive oil. Diced chicken in with the garlic and ginger, stir-frying for 2–3 minutes until it colours.

3. Heat down to medium, then in with the onion and sliced leeks. Cook them down with the chicken for 4–5 minutes. The leeks melt into a sweet, rustic texture that's the whole character of this curry.

4. Tip the entire spice blend over and stir vigorously for 60 seconds so the dry heat toasts it onto the meat and veg.

5. Pour in the stock, add the chickpeas, and simmer gently with the lid on, on low heat, for 10–12 minutes.

6. Lid off. Stir in the lemon zest and juice — this is what wakes up the earthy chickpeas — then the mountain of spinach, stirred gently for 60 seconds until it wilts in.

Serve it with

• Perfect Rice, Every Time — the default
• Perfect Wholewheat Couscous — five minutes flat
• Bulgur Wheat & Red Lentil Blend — the highest-fibre option