Chickpea Vegetable Stew

As part of Rice & Beans Month, families in northern Tanzania are being trained in organic vegetable gardening. The variety of vegetables grown in the gardens of Mwamalili village add important nutrients and rich flavors to meals that would otherwise be bland and nutritionally incomplete. The following stew is an example of a dish that will yield a similar result in your kitchen!  You can read more about these gardens here on the blog.

Ingredients:

• cooked rice, for serving
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1½ tsp cumin
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• ½ c raisins
• 1 5-oz package baby spinach, chopped

Directions:

Cook rice in a pot or rice cooker as you make the stew.
Heat the oil in a large pot, add onion and sauté until it begins to soften. Add the cumin, ginger, salt, and pepper and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower, and raisins, and ¼ – ½ c water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until vegetables are tender and stew slightly thickens, 15-20 minutes. Fold in the spinach and cook until just wilted, 1-2 minutes more. Serve over cooked rice.