Curried Lentils & Chickpeas | Plant-Based Iron

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Jasmine

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For our next plant-based iron recipe we’re making something batch-cook friendly, so perfect for weeks when you don’t have the time or energy to devise the perfect iron-boosting meal…

INGREDIENTS

Iron sources:

Red lentils (dried)

Chickpeas (cooked – jarred / canned etc.)

Tahini

Vitamin C (iron-boosters):

Tomatoes

Broccoli

Lime juice

Everything else:

Garlic

Shallot

Ginger

Chilli flakes

Turmeric

Cumin

Tomato paste

Spring greens

Fresh coriander

TIPS & NOTES

Usually I’m all for swapping out ingredients if you don’t have them to hand, but since this post is focused on a micronutrient, I would be cautious with this. For example, if you want to swap the broccoli, pick a different vegetable that’s rich in Vitamin C. You could use spinach instead of greens, but you’re reducing the iron absorption a little, since it’s high in oxalates which can inhibit iron absorption. If you don’t want to do the thinking: follow the recipe as it’s laid out, if you need to make a swap or two: just have a quick Google.

I always recommend soaking dried red lentils for 1-4 hours before cooking with them (rinsing them before and after). Firstly, because it reduces gas-causing compounds, but also because it reduces phytates which inhibit iron absorption. This unlocks the iron in the lentils so your body can absorb more of it and then we’re adding chickpeas for more iron. Tahini contains some calcium, which can also inhibit iron absorption but the overall volume of iron in this ingredient means it’s not a huge issue. We’re also boosting iron absorption by including Vitamin C rich ingredients like tomatoes, citrus juice and broccoli (added towards the end to preserve as much of it as possible). I’ve served it with quinoa, which is also a good iron source.

Curried Lentils & Chickpeas

  • Servings: 3
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

An easy curry recipe to boost your iron intake

No special equipment required but I strongly recommend rinsing the lentils well, soaking them for 1-4 hours and rinsing them again

Ingredients

    

  • 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped, grated or minced)
  • c.15g piece of ginger (grated or finely chopped)
  • 80g dried red lentils (pre-soaked or at least rinsed very well)
  • 350g of cooked chickpeas
  • A handful (c.5g) of coriander (large stems removed and leave roughly chopped)
  • 80g of spring greens (chopped)
  • 180g of broccoli (chopped)
  • 150g of baby tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 tbsp (c.15g) of tomato paste
  • 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1 tsp of turmeric
  • 1/2 a tsp of dried chilli flakes
  • 35g of tahini
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime (optional: cut the other half into segments for serving)
  • Optional: 150-200ml of vegetable stock
  • Neutral oil 

  • Salt and pepper to taste



Directions

    

  1. Take a large lidded pot and fill it halfway with water then bring it up to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 mins (if you pre-soaked) or 15-20 mins
if you just rinsed them (occasionally skim off any white residue from the surface of the water)
  2. Rinse the lentils well and set them aside, rinse out the pot and in the same pot – over a medium heat – add a little vegetable oil and the garlic, ginger and shallot then sauté for a couple of mins until fragrant
  3. Add some salt, pepper and the cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes and sauté together for a couple of minutes before adding back in the lentils, vegetable stock and chickpeas
  4. Cover and simmer everything together for 10 mins
  5. Add the tomatoes, broccoli, greens and tahini, stir and cover to cook for another 5-7 mins before squeezing in the lime juice
  6. Serve with a whole grain (I recommend quinoa for its iron content), topped with the coriander and with an optional extra segment of lime

    7. 


Let me know if you try this curry!

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