Tomato and chickpea stew

Ingredients

• 1 Tin chickpeas (or soak and cook 1 cup dried chickpeas)
• 1 Tin chopped tomatoes
• 2-3 teaspoons Curry/spice mix - I used Moroccan curry mix
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 1 Stalk celery, diced
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, diced or crushed
• Handful Cherry tomatoes (or chopped fresh tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon Ginger, diced or crushed
• 1/2 cup Dried cous cous
• 3/4 cup Boiling water
• Handful Slivered almonds, browned in dry pan
• Handful Currants
• Dash Olive oil or butter
• Pinch Salt and pepper, to taste
• Bunch Fresh herbs (parsley, coriander or mint), diced

Directions

1. First prepare the stew.  Heat some oil in a large deep frying pan.
2. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery and fry on medium-high head until onion starts to become soft and translucent.
3. Add ginger and garlic and fry off briefly.  Add spice mix and stir through to bring out the flavours.
4. Drain and rinse can of chickpeas and add to frying pan.
5. Add tinned tomatoes and bay leaf.   Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir well. If there is not enough liquid you can add some water.
7. Cook for about 30 minutes or until chickpeas are hot and flavours have started to develop.  You can leave this simmering on a low heat for several hours, just make sure to top up the water and stir occasionally.  Like most curries/stews the flavours will develop more the next day.
8. Meanwhile, put the kettle on and boil some water.
9. In a medium bowl add 1/2 cup dried cous cous.  Add a dash of olive oil and 3/4 cup of boiling water.
10. After about 5 minutes the water should have absorbed and you can fluff the cous cous with a fork.
11. Meanwhile, in a small dry pan heat the slivered almonds until they start to brown.
12. Add slivered almonds, currants and a bit more olive oil to the cous cous and mix.
13. Serve the chickpeas with the cous cous, and top with diced herbs.