Thai Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry

I really like Thai food.  Most of the time, I settle for having it at a restaurant (although I've made pad thai and pad see ew at home).  However, Thai curries are so easy to make at home.   And another bonus? They are fast, too!  Except for maybe cooking the brown rice (which takes 30-40 minutes), this was a 30-minute meal.

I've actually made a Thai curry with pork before but  now that we eat meatless several times a week, I was curious to try this with cauliflower and chickpeas instead.  I definitely didn't miss the meat -- in fact, I might have enjoyed this meal even more.

Surprisingly, we really enjoyed the rice as well! Usually I serve rice in order to soak up the sauce but this coconut rice was pretty tasty in its own right.  I only used 1 cup of dried rice, which barely worked for 4 servings.  However, if you like more rice, increase the amount below!

Thai Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry
Adapted from: How Sweet Eats
Serves 4-5

coconut rice:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (I used 1/4 cup from the coconut milk below)
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup water (or use however much your brown rice needs as described on the package -- my rice cooker needs about 1 3/4 cup water for every 1 cup rice)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

chickpea curry:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red and/or green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets, about 1 inch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste + more to taste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (I used everything but 1/4 cup which was used in the rice above)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 3 tablespoons freshly torn cilantro
• crushed red pepper, to taste

1. Cook rice according to directions, adding additional water if needed. (I use a rice cooker so I just follow those instructions.  However, if you don't have one, follow the instructions on the brown rice package.  Brown rice typically takes 30-40 minutes to cook.)
2. While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Stir in the onion, and cook until they have slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger and curry paste and stir to coat.  Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.  Add in cauliflower, coconut milk, and fish sauce.  Cover, bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until cauliflower has softened. Stir in the chickpeas and cilantro and cook for 3-5 minutes more. Taste and season additionally if desired.  If you prefer slightly spicier, add crushed red pepper, to taste.
3. Serve immediately with the coconut rice.