Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

So I haven't posted in a while due to a busy schedule (trip to Ann Arbor, softball playoffs, etc.) and a lack of new ideas. I've been re-making and enjoying old favorites over the past couple weeks. However, my former OSW girls came over for dinner and a Costa Rica trip planning session a couple weeks ago, and I prepared a vegetarian feast in their honor using veggies I had on hand from the CSA.

This chickpea and sweet potato curry from the voluptuous Nigella Lawson, via the New York Times seemed like the perfect meal for the occasion... vegetarian, but interesting, consisting of beans and rice (to slowly ease us into the diet de rigueur of Costa Rica), but still having some veggies and vitamins. I served it with a side of spicy roasted okra.

We all liked the curry- I think everyone came back for a second helping. The tamarind paste gave it a tangy authenticity that I liked. Plus it was pretty easy, using canned chickpeas and onion, garlic, ginger and chili chopped up via food processor. Colleen sagely observed that one could throw a handful of spinach or some green peppers for more color and veggie goodness (I lean towards spinach because green peppers are my personal devil).