Makes 2. 365 Calories Per Serving
INGREDIENTS:
1 tin chickpeas
1 tbsp Garam masala
1 tsp garlic granules or 2 fresh cloves
1 tin good quality tomatoes
4 tbsp high quality coconut milk
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 red onion finely sliced
1 large or 2 small courgettes cubed
1 tbsp vegan chicken stock
Good handful coriander
1 tsp coconut oil
1 good wedge of lime
1 handful Kafir lime leaves
METHOD:
Fry onion in the coconut oil for 3 minutes on a medium to hot heat.
Add Garam masala, stir and continue cooking for a further 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, ketchup, garlic granules, vegan chicken stock, chickpeas and lime leaves.
Stir thoroughly.
Add courgette cubes and stir well. Now add coconut milk., stir thoroughly and boil for about 10 minutes with the lid on.
Serve and garnish with coriander. Can be served e.g. with salad or sweet potato.
My Chef Training
I found the academic side of school very hard. Suffering from dyslexia it became apparent that the vocational side of life was my calling. This is where my love of food took the next step.
At 15, I found my love for cooking. Immediately my confidence grew and I was finally good at something. Excelling my year group with my culinary skills, at 16 I enrolled at the most prestigious catering college in the country, Westminster.
This had to have been one of the most challenging, fun and eye-opening experiences I had in the real world. Commuting from Sevenoaks to London, Monday to Friday, at 16 was thrilling but tiring. Our days in the kitchen started at 9am and finished at 5pm each day. I would then go and work in a kitchen as a paid chef from 6pm-10pm.
Weekends were a no-go. I would then work from 6.30am to 10pm every other weekend and study on alternate weekends. Welcome to the real life of a chef. Or lack of.
I had found my love for cooking but also the love for prescription sleeping tablets. Zopiclone. This was a lethal cocktail for weight gain and at 19 I was piling on the pounds.
During my time at Westminster, I had opportunities to work at the Dorchester Hotel, Hilton Park Lane, City Rhodes, Houses of Commons and Marco Pierre White’s, Belvedere.
This experience helped a team of 6 chefs win the country's biggest catering competition, Toque D’or.
Daniel Welstead Plant Based Vegan Personal Trainer in Sevenoaks