Chickpea-Stuffed Peppers

Serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as a starter

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 large handfuls spinach, torn into small pieces and washed
1 tsp mild curry powder (commercially-bought is fine)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
2 Tbsp tomato or 'Italian vegetable' puree
50g (2oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs (roughly equivalent to 2 x 1cm-thick
slices)
1 x 400g (14oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and roughly
hand-chopped
4 Tbsp chopped roasted (sweet bell) peppers (optional)
3 medium peppers, halved and hollowed out for stuffing

Heat a wide heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and
heat for 10 seconds or so, then add the onion and fry, stirring
occasionally, until well-softened. Tip in the damp spinach, sprinkle
over the curry powder, raise the heat and stir, toss and fry until the
liquid has mostly cooked out of the spinach and it is collapsed but
still moist. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, vegetable or tomato puree, breadcrumbs,
chickpeas and peppers. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well;
it should be reasonably moist but not dripping. Stuff the filling
firmly into the pepper halves, mounding up on top.

Bake in a low-sided dish at Gas Mark 6 (200C, 400F) for about an hour,
turning the dish around once and lowering the heat towards the end if
the peppers are getting too browned. This length of time makes the
peppers deliciously soft - if you like them firmer, reduce the time.