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Zucchini Chickpea Curry Meal Prep
If you’re looking for more vegetarian meal prep ideas, this Indian-inspired Zucchini Chickpea Curry Meal Prep recipe will hit the spot. This make-ahead lunch is easy to cook, loaded with incredible flavors and freezer-friendly!
- Total Time1 hour
- Yield4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the curry:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 cups chopped zucchini (~2 medium zucchini)
- kosher salt
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/2 whole green chili (optional for heat)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- pinch of sugar (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup broth or coconut milk (optional)
For the turmeric rice:
- 1 cup dry basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 4 cardamom pods (optional), lightly bashed to reveal their seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Brown the zucchini: Heat a large saucepan or cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Once it’s melted and shimmering, add half of the chopped zucchini and a good pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until it has taken on some color but still a bit firm. How long this takes will depend on the size of your pan and how much liquid is in your zucchini. Remove the zucchini from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining cooking oil and zucchini.
- Add aromatics: Return the reserved zucchini to the pot and lower the heat to medium. Stir in the minced garlic (4 cloves, minced), ginger (1 inch piece, grated) and the halved green chili if you’re using it (with or without seeds) for extra heat. Cook for a minute or two until aromatic, then add the spices: ground cumin (1 teaspoon), ground coriander (1 teaspoon), ground turmeric (1 teaspoon), and chili powder (1/2 teaspoon). Cook for a minute more.
- Simmer the curry: Stir in the drained chickpeas (1 can) (you don’t need to rinse them), tomatoes (1 can) and a generous pinch of sugar (about 1/4 teaspoon). Once the mixture is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. If it appears dry or you prefer a saucier curry, stir in 1/4 cup broth or coconut milk. Once the curry is done, check to see if you want to add more salt. Keep it warm if you’re planning on serving it immediately, or remove it from the heat to cool so it can be packed up for meal prep.
- Prepare the rice: While the curry is simmering, begin working on the rice (1 cup). Start by rinsing it under the cold tap until the runoff liquid turns clear, then set it aside to drain. Melt the coconut oil (2 tablespoons) over a medium heat in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the cinnamon stick (1) and cardamom pods (4), if using, and cook for a few minutes until aromatic. Stir in the rinsed and drained rice along with the turmeric (1/4 teaspoon) and salt (1/4 teaspoon).
- Cook the rice: Add 2 cups of cold water to the pan and turn the heat up to high. Bring the water to the boil and allow it to bubble away until the level of the water reaches the level of the rice. Put on the lid, and reduce the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for a further 8 minutes, before removing the pan from the heat. Allow it to rest for a further 5 minutes before removing the lid.
- Meal prep it: Remove the lid from the rice and pick out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Fluff it up with a fork then divide between four meal prep containers. Remove the halved green chili from the curry before dividing it between the other side of the container and do not refrigerate until completely cool. Then, store for up to 4 days. To reheat, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of water over the rice if contained separately from the curry to help create steam. Loosely cover the meal with the lid and microwave on High for 90 seconds, stirring and then continuing to heat in 30 second increments until it’s hot and steamy all the way through.
Notes
Serve with: This curry is delicious with the turmeric rice alone, but if you’re serving it immediately, chopped cilantro sprinkled over the top would be a delicious addition. This cucumber raita (made with coconut yogurt if you want to keep things vegan) would also go well, but keep it in a separate container so it doesn’t go in the microwave when reheating!
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunches
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 506
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 81g
- Protein: 17g