Chickpea and Sardine Curry
Wrapping our Mediterranean diet series with a twist on a timeless favourite that’s sure to please—Curry!
While curries are usually considered time-intensive, this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! (I know, I’m all about efficiency when it comes to cooking)
The trick lies in the ingredients that we’ve chosen such as canned sardines and canned chickpeas.
Using chickpeas in curry is a simple way to include legumes in our asian diet, and these sardines are a good source of omega-3 fats. 1 can will provide you with 25% of your daily requirement for calcium! (score!)
This is the one I specifically like using.
And if sardines aren’t your vibe, you can also use canned mackerel or tuna and play with the vegetables you like. Eggplant, long beans, cabbage, and pumpkin will work really well here too!
❗️Tips:
- To save you time in the kitchen, we’ve used convenient foods such as canned chickpeas and canned sardines. When shopping for these, make sure to read the ingredients list to make sure you’re happy with the ingredients in there
- When seasoning with acidic ingredients like tamarind and lime juice, leave that to the end in order to preserve the tangy flavour.
Take it away and enjoy whipping this up!
THE RECIPE
SERVES 2-3
Ingredients
1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
2 large tomatoes, sliced into wedges
2 tbsp fish curry powder
1 cup water (or more depending on your desired consistency)
6-8 ladies fingers, cut in half
240g (1 can) chickpeas in water (unsalted), drained
2 cans sardines in extra virgin olive oil, mostly drained
1 tbsp tamarind sauce
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
In a large shallow pan or a medium sized pot, sautée the garlic-ginger paste in some oil over medium heat. Add in the red onion and continue sautéeing till softened and fragrant.
Add in the curry leaves to soften, followed by the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the fish curry and water, and stir to combine. If needed, increase the heat slightly to bring it to a slight simmer. Leave to cook for about 3-4 minutes before adding the ladies fingers and chickpeas.
Once the ladies fingers are cooked to your desired consistency, lower the heat to medium-low and add in the sardines. Since they’re already cooked, it needs just enough time for it to heat through.
Finally, add in the tamarind sauce and stir well to combine. There you have it!
Notes
This would pair really nicely with a dollop of plain yoghurt for some tang and creaminess.
Remember that the sardine bones are soft enough to be edible! In fact, they make a great source of calcium.
Remember to only add the tamarind at the end to preserve it’s acidity.
Nutrition
Per Serving:
Calories: 326kcal
Carbohydrates: 26g
Protein: 14g
Fat: 15g
Sugar: 8.4g
Sodium: 288.42g
Fibre: 9.9g