This is such a warming, comforting dinner on these cold nights. The ingredients may seem a little strange to combine together, but trust me, it tastes delicious! The mustard seeds and the lemon add such an unusual tang to this, which is balanced by the earthy potatoes and chickpeas. My mum sometimes makes this for me when I go to visit her. She has the recipe cut out from some magazine so unfortunately I can’t credit the recipe here.

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K, as well as being a very good source of fibre, manganese and folate, along with some potassium, calcium and vitamins B6 and B1. The chickpeas provide protein, fibre, and more maganase and folate..

If you wanted to change the nutrients, you could try adding sweet potato rather than white potatoes, as they contain more fibre and vitamin A than their white counterparts. However the extra sweetness would completely change the flavour of the dish so I prefer keeping it as it is. White potatoes don’t deserve to be shunned in favour of the sweet potato as they so often are in health circles anyway. Although sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index, white potatoes contain more iron, magnesium and potassium so nutritionally I feel they balance out. There is no need to feel guilty for enjoying a white potato, they have plenty of benefits also. I think the reason people are often misled about this is because white potatoes are often cooked in a more unhealthy way than sweet potatoes tend to be -either deep fried, or smothered in salt, cheese and dairy.

I use water rather than stock in this as I never have any home made stock and I don’t like the salt and yeast in store bought stocks. I simply add a little more spices and herbs in the stews and soups which I make rather than using stock, and I never find them under flavoured or bland.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

500g cabbage, thinly sliced

500g potatoes, cut into dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 red chilli, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 l vegetable stock/water

2 400g tin chickpeas

1 lemon, juice & zest

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop add the cabbage and potatoes, and toss in the oil for five minutes. Add the garlic, chilli, and two minutes later, the spices. Cook for a further five minutes, stiring regularly to prevent sticking. Pour in the stock or water, bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for twenty minutes, add the chickpeas and lemon, and then simmer for ten minutes more.

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