Meatless curry uses pantry staples for a quick, flavorful meal

Winter is the season of pantry staples — dried beans, grains, frozen vegetables, canned coconut milk, a few spices. With the cupboards stocked, I can save myself a trip to the store.

Of all the pantry items, chickpeas are the most versatile. Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, this ancient food is popular across the globe. The name chickpea comes from the French term pois chice (pois means pea). Garbanzo is derived from garbantzu, the Basque word for bean. In India, they're known as chana or chole.

Cooking chickpeas from dried beans gives you a lot more control over the final texture and showcases their true flavor. Stick to the average cooking time and you have beans that are firm on the outside, creamy within and just right for soups, stews and salads. Extend the cooking time for softer chickpeas to purée into hummus. Taking the extra time to cook chickpeas from scratch will reward the cook with a full-flavored stock, the basis of any soup or stew.

You can't beat chickpeas when building a curry. They maintain their shape as they simmer in the fragrant sauce and their nutty sweetness shines through. Because curry recipes are open to interpretation, the one I rely on is very simple and flexible. It makes good use of frozen vegetables such as green beans and red peppers that are a better choice than the fresh vegetables shipped in from afar. Canned coconut milk gives the curry its creamy sauce and softens the smoky heat. Serve the curry over a whole grain — wheat or rye berries, barley, wild rice or quinoa — and enjoy a warming, comforting meal that's so simple and simply good.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: This is perfect for vegans and vegetarians and will satisfy omnivores, too. It's made from simple pantry ingredients. Serve over a whole grain for a warming, cozy meal. From Beth Dooley.

• 2 tbsp. coconut or vegetable oil

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 tbsp. curry powder

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-in. fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 (13.5-oz.) can coconut milk

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 3 c. cooked chickpeas, or 2 (15.5-oz.) canned chickpeas, drained (see below)

• 1 c. sliced red bell pepper, fresh or frozen

• 1 c. (1 1/2 in. pieces) green beans, fresh or frozen

• Juice of half a lime

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• Whole grains, such as quinoa, barley and wild rice, for serving

• 1 c. unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a deep pot over a medium-low setting, add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until they soften and turn golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk, scraping up any of the bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the salt and honey and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer to reduce the liquid, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, peppers and green beans and continue cooking until they're heated through and tender-crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked whole grains and garnish with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges.

To cook dried chickpeas: Put 1 1/2 cups of dried beans into a bowl and add enough water to cover by 4 inches. Soak overnight. Drain the beans and turn into a deep pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches. Add 1 bay leaf, several peppercorns, a few sprigs of parsley, half of a carrot, and a generous pinch of salt. Set over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid (stock) for another use; discard the herbs and carrot. Turn the beans into the curry.

Beth Dooley is the author of "The Perennial Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.