Coronation Chickpea Sandwiches

I remember the first time I had coronation chicken. It was in sixth form and I was told–despite chicken being in its name–it was vegetarian. It was drowned in creamy sauce so I didn’t think anything of it and had some. Silly me, I know. But chicken seasoning has no chicken in it, so I figured maybe coronation chicken had some of that no-chicken seasoning in it.

Don’t blame me, I grew up in Asia.

(Okay so maybe I was being a little bit oblivious. But if you know me, I tend not to notice things until it’s too late.)

(So maybe I should rethink a career as a doctor?)

While vegetarianism had come a long way since then (how on earth someone though coronation chicken was vegetarian, I do not know), I have never tried to recreate the dish. And for something with a hell of a lot of mango chutney and raisins in it, I don’t know why. I love mango chutney. And raisins.

(Side note: I can finish an entire 500g bag of sultanas in a day. Yes, the packs meant for baking, not the snack packs. Snack packs are for suckers) 

One of my goals this year is to learn how to make sourdough. Proper sourdough. And this loaf is the third one I have made from my brand new sourdough starter, Shirley. I have had starters, so many starters, in the past, but they have all flopped (and for one, quite literally). But I think I have figured out why…

I didn’t name them! If a starter has a name it feels loved and it grows. It bubbles away and is generally a happy chappy. Unnamed starters feel sad and, frankly, a bit unloved. So please, name your starter. We all need a ‘lil lovin’.

Disclaimer – So this is technically not true, and as a scientist, I feel like I should tell you that your starter WILL grow even without a name. My previous starter didn’t work out because I accidentally pushed the jar it was in off the windowsill. THe ones before because I used tap water or left them out in the cold. With or without a name, your starter will form a medium for wild yeast in the flour and air to grow and thrive. But as a starter IS a living thing, and since you’re going to be stuck feeding it every day, or once a week, you really should name it. It helps to foster a relationship, and suddenly feeding it seems like less of a chore. Shirley is my surrogate pet since puppies are not allowed in uni accommodation.

Sometimes, I talk to her. 

I got the cookbook ‘Artisan Sourdough Made Simple‘ by Emilie Raffa for Christmas, and it’s a brilliant book for anyone who wants to make sourdough, without much experience making bread. The instructions were so simple, and I loved how she has suggested a timeline for baking each recipe, since these loaves take 8-10 hours to proof.

I also have read up a lot about sourdough, and how to troubleshoot a less-than-active starter, how to bake crusty bread without a dutch oven, or how various flours affect the starter differently. I’ve also had some help from some great people on instagram, who helped me along when Shirley was getting a wee bit lazy. I will definitely write a post about it all eventually, but since I am still learning, I highly recommend Emilie’s book as a great way to kick-start your sourdough-making journey! Check it out here >>  ‘Artisan Sourdough Made Simple‘

Coronation Chickpea Sandwiches

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Coronation Chickpea Sandwiches, a vegan spin on an all-time classic, it makes the perfect packed lunch or side salad!

Author: Sasha Gill

Recipe type: Vegan

Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, roughly mashed
• 3 tbsp soy yogurt
• 2 tbsp vegan mayo*
• 2 tbsp mango chutney
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup raisins or sultanas
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 slices of bread, sourdough is my favorite but anything works!

Instructions

1. Drain the can of chickpeas and mash them roughly with a potato ricer, leaving some chickpeas. It may help to heat the chickpeas up in the microwave for a minute or two to make them softer and easier to mash.
2. Add the yogurt, mayo, chutney, curry powder, lemon juice, and raisins. Stir this well, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Chill this in the fridge as it is best cold!
4. When the filling is properly chilled, you can assemble your sandwiches. Add some greens like spinach or kale if you like, or just have it plain!

Notes

*If you don’t have vegan mayo and don’t feel like making some, more yogurt will work. But the mayo version is a little tastier, so if you can, try to find some vegan mayo!

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