Chickpeas and spinach work well together because the chickpeas give you something substantial to get your teeth into, while the spinach wilts down and adds colour and a bit of iron. The combination feels proper filling without being heavy.

The curry starts with building up the spice base slowly. You cook the onion until it’s soft, then add the ginger, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds. These need a good ten minutes on low heat to release their flavours properly. The garlic goes in near the end so it doesn’t burn and turn bitter.

Once the spices smell right, you add the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, and the ground spices. Everything needs to simmer together for about ten minutes so the chickpeas can absorb some of the sauce. The spinach goes in last with the lid on, which steams it down in about five minutes.

The couscous is straightforward. You pour hot vegetable stock over it with some lemon zest, cover it, and leave it for five minutes. A fork fluffs it up nicely, and a drizzle of olive oil stops it clumping together.

The lemon juice brightens up the whole curry at the end. Without it, the dish can taste a bit flat, but that squeeze of acid brings everything together and balances out the earthy chickpeas and spices.

This keeps well in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day when the flavours have had time to settle. You can reheat it gently on the hob or in the microwave. It works fine on its own or as part of a bigger spread if you’re doing a curry night.

Takes about thirty minutes from start to finish, and most of that is just letting things cook while you get on with other bits.