Description

This vibrant and flavorful Turmeric Cod with Chickpea Traybake is a wholesome one-pan meal that combines tender cod fillets with spiced chickpeas and spinach. Infused with turmeric, garlic, ginger, and a touch of chilli flakes, the dish offers a perfectly balanced warmth and nourishment, making it an ideal nutritious dinner that’s easy to prepare and packed with protein and vegetables.

Ingredients

Scale

Chickpea Base

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 shallots, finely chopped
15g ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml hot chicken stock, made up with 1/2 stock cube
1 tsp ground turmeric (plus extra for the cod)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (plus extra for the cod)

Fish and Veg

2 x 125g cod fillets
200g frozen spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
10g coriander, roughly chopped or a few whole leaves, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Heat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/Gas Mark 6 to ensure it’s hot enough for roasting the chickpeas and cod.
Prepare Chickpea Mixture: In a 20 x 30 cm roasting tin, combine the drained chickpeas with sunflower oil, crushed garlic cloves, finely chopped shallots, grated ginger, tomato purée, hot chicken stock, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes. Stir thoroughly and season well with salt and pepper.
Bake Chickpeas: Place the roasting tin in the oven and bake the mixture for 20-25 minutes. The mixture should bubble and the liquid reduces to a thick, flavorful base.
Prepare the Cod: While the chickpeas bake, pat the cod fillets dry with kitchen paper. On a shallow plate, mix the remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric and chilli flakes, then add a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Press each cod fillet into this spice mixture ensuring they are evenly coated.
Add Cod and Spinach: Remove the roasting tin from the oven and nestle the coated cod fillets and frozen spinach into the chickpea mixture evenly.
Continue Baking: Return the roasting tin to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then carefully stir the spinach into the chickpeas to help it cook evenly, and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cod is completely cooked through and opaque.
Serve: Spoon the cod, chickpeas, and spinach into bowls and scatter the chopped coriander or whole leaves over the top for a fresh, vibrant garnish.

Notes

You can substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock to make it pescatarian.
Adjust chilli flakes according to your spice preference.
Ensure cod is fresh or properly thawed before cooking for the best texture.
Serve with crusty bread or steamed rice for a more filling meal.
Use fresh coriander if possible to enhance the dish’s aromatic quality.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: turmeric cod, chickpea traybake, baked cod recipe, one-pan fish recipe, healthy cod dish, turmeric chickpeas, easy dinner, oven-baked fish