I am pretty jazzed about this week’s recipe - it’s a “dump and bake” casserole (cringe…is there a better term for these meals? Ugh.)! Who doesn’t love completely mindless, one pot cooking? It sort of goes against the whole premise of this series, which is to explore recipes that might take a little more time and effort to prepare (hence, Sunday Suppers). But, if you’re anything like my family, weekends are often also jam packed, albeit with slightly funner things. If you’re spending Sunday out and about, tending to all of the things you can’t do during the week (sleeping! exercising! socializing! pumpkin picking! a million errands!) you might still find yourself frantically trying to get dinner on the table at 6 PM, reaching for the quickest and easiest things, which we know by now often aren’t the healthiest. One exception? This casserole. You’ll spend less than 10 minutes prepping the casserole before it goes into the oven, undisturbed, for about an hour, which gives you plenty of time to whisk together the simple chili lime yogurt, set the table, and - dare I say - just relax until dinner is done.
The chili lime yogurt isn’t essential to the dish, but definitely recommended! When choosing a non-dairy yogurt, I prefer thicker, greek-style varieties here - my absolute favorite is Anita’s because it is so luxuriously thick and tangy, completely organic and the ingredient list is superb. Unfortunately, it can be tough to find outside of the NYC Metro Area, so in that case, any unsweetened non-dairy yogurt will do!
For the chili crisp, I recommend a brand like Fly By Jing or even the more widely available variety sold at Trader Joe’s. Just a note that these condiments contain refined oils, so I use them only occasionally and sparingly - but they are totally delicious and definitely worth having in your pantry to spice up almost anything. They bring a mild-medium heat, have great texture and go with almost any type of food. If you can’t find chili crisp, feel free to leave it out entirely or sub in a few squirts of Sriracha sauce.
You can serve this dish with a simple cucumber and onion salad and some pillowy pita bread. Leftovers keep for up to a week, or you can freeze everything for up to 3 months.
Masala Chickpea, Kale and Brown Rice Casserole with Chili Lime Yogurt
Recipe by Lauren Kretzer
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Chickpea Casserole
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup brown jasmine rice
3 cups frozen chopped kale
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced (approximately 1 Tbsp)
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin seed
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
Chili Lime Yogurt
1 (5.3 oz) container plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Pinch salt
Chili crisp condiment (such as Fly By Jing or similar), to taste (if you can’t find chili crisp, substitute Sriracha sauce)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In an 8x11” ovenproof baking dish, add all chickpea casserole ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir contents of baking dish until well combined. Tightly cover with foil and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until rice is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and fluff with a fork.
While casserole is baking, make chili lime yogurt. In a small bowl, combine non-dairy yogurt, lime juice and salt. Drizzle with chili crisp condiment (or Sriracha, if using), to taste.
Serve casserole while still hot, with bowl of chili lime yogurt on the side for drizzling.