February 5, 2013 | Issue 437

Creamy Chickpea Curry

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

Kick-off National Cancer Prevention Month with a healthy meal packed full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. The creaminess of this richly flavored curry comes from coconut milk and pureed butternut squash. These easy substitutions for heavy cream add cancer-fighting beta-carotene without a lot of extra calories. Fiber-rich chickpeas and a variety of health-promoting vegetables give the dish a distinctive depth of flavor while the spices add a bit of heat to keep the winter chill away.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 212 calories, 4 g fat (<1 g sat fat), 39 g carbohydrates, 
9 g protein, 6 g fiber, 544 mg sodium.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and salt and set aside.
3. Spread squash on baking sheet and coat liberally with cooking spray. Roast squash until soft, 30 minutes, stirring once.
4. While squash bakes, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, rutabaga and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, 4 minutes. Mix in garlic and combined spices, stirring until they smell fragrant, 1 minute. Pour in broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are just tender, 12-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place roasted squash in blender. Add coconut milk and chipotle chili, and whirl to a smooth purée. If mixture is thicker than a puréed soup, add water, 1/2 cup at a time. Add purée to the cooking vegetables.
6. Add chickpeas, broccoli and bell pepper to the pot and simmer, uncovered, until curry is creamy, about 6 -10 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green and crisp tender. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately.