Sweet Potato & Chickpea Stew

Looking for something hearty, healthy, and satisfying? This rich stew is delicious on its own, over rice, or with a salad. This dish worked perfectly for meal prepping and even inspired me to make some great leftover re-creations.

I was inspired by Rainbow Plant life to use more vegetables in my cooking and find ways to replace animal based proteins. Don't get me wrong - I still love my chicken and meat, but meatless Mondays are a great start!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ghee or olive oil

1 large red onion, diced 1 tbsp garlic paste or crushed garlic

1 tbsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger 1 large tomato, diced 2 tbsp tomato paste

1 large sweet potato, diced into small cubes (peeled or unpeeled)

1 cup of vegetable broth or chicken broth 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp mild curry powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp cumin powder

1 can of plain chickpeas, drained 1.5 cups fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

1) Sauté onions in oil or ghee until translucent

2) Add ginger and garlic pastes and cook until fragrant and onions are browned.

3) Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook until tomatoes are mushy and broken down.

4) Add diced sweet potato, veggie broth, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin powder. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender.

5) Add 1 can of drained chickpeas. Add a half cup of vegetable broth or water if you feel like the vegetable mixture is too dry and is sticking to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the majority of liquid is gone.

6) Add salt and pepper to taste.

7) Mix in fresh cilantro.

Tips:

• Serve with fluffy white rice or warm naan bread.

• This also goes beautifully with cucumber yogurt or a side leafy salad.

• Not sure what to do with the leftovers? Try making these super easy fritters! My family loves them as a snack, appetizer, or brunch dish.