Heat a pot, large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, garlic, ginger, carrot and onion.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add curry paste and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
Add chickpeas and stir to coat once more. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add coconut milk, vegetable broth, coconut sugar (or maple syrup), lime zest (or leaf), and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a heavy simmer over medium-high heat.
Once simmering, add couscous, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding fresh lime juice for tang, maple syrup or coconut sugar for added sweetness, and salt for depth of flavor. I added a bit more of each as you really want the flavor to be big, bold and punch through in each bite. Don’t be shy!
Then turn off heat and let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavor to permeate the chickpeas and couscous even more.
Serve with fresh lime juice, fresh herbs, sriracha, and just a sprinkle more coconut sugar (trust me! the flavor payoff is big). You can also serve with pan-seared tofu (instructions below) and/or bean sprouts or shredded Brussels sprouts.
Notes
*If you don’t have / don’t want to use couscous, you can double up on chickpeas, or omit it and serve this over coconut rice or quinoa instead. *Pan seared tofu (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size): 1 cup extra firm tofu, pressed dry then cubed. Toss with 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Then pan fry in a cast iron (or metal) skillet over medium heat in 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until light golden brown. *Recipe inspired by the Green Tofu Curry at Public. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1/4 tsp sea salt and without optional ingredients.