CHICKPEA CURRY
Chickpea Curry is a highly flavoured, popular North Indian dish. It is a vegetable-based curry of cooked chickpeas in a rich tomato-onion gravy, bringing you a protein-rich, vegetarian delicacy. The aromatic base was established with cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and coriander powder. This tender chickpea absorbed all the fragrant flavours well. Traditionally, the perfect meal for lunch or dinner would be chickpea curry with rice or naan/roti. This is one very versatile dish and can easily be made to suit spicy tastes since it’s easy to prepare for a large group for meal preparation purposes.
RECIPE CATEGORY
Lunch, Dinner, Entrée
SERVING SIZE
1
CUISINE
Indian, South Asian
PREPARATION / TECHNIQUES
Sauté, Simmer, One-Pot Wonders, Pan-Fry
OCCASION / HOLIDAY
Family Dinner, Weeknight Meals, Diwali, Potluck, Comfort Food
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION / DIETARY CONCERNS
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, High Fibre, Kid-Friendly
DISH TYPE
Soup / Stew, Entrée
INGREDIENTS
- 60g canned or boiled chickpeas
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 tomato, pureed
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ghee or oil
- Salt, to taste
FULL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER SERVING)
- Calories:150
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fibre: 5g
- Sodium: 240mg
PREPARATION OF CHICKPEA CURRY
- Heat the ghee or oil: In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon ghee or oil on medium flame. Add the cumin seeds when the oil becomes hot. Cumin seed starts crackling after half-thirty seconds with a sweet fragrance that fills the air.
- Sauté the onions: Add chopped onions in a pot. Sauté until they are golden brown for about 4-5 minutes with occasional stirring so it does not burn.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and spices: Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and garam masala if you have them. Mix everything together in the pan and stir well for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add tomato puree: Add the tomato puree and cook with occasional stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture thickens and the oil separates from the pan.
- Add chickpeas and water: Add the chickpeas and 250 ml of water. Season to taste with salt, then continue letting it simmer on low. Continue letting the curry cook for 10-12 minutes, allowing the flavours to intermingle.
- Adjust seasoning and serve: Season, correct, and serve the taste, seasoning with more spices if needed. Serve over rice, naan, or roti for a feast.
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
20 minutes
TIPS
- If you are using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and cook them until tender before using them in this recipe.
- For added zip, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over or sprinkle a few fresh coriander leaves on the right just before serving.
- If you like, you can add a pinch of red chilli powder for an extra hot flavour.
VARIATIONS
- Add diced potatoes for a heartier version.
- A variation is attained by replacing chickpeas with black-eyed peas or kidney beans.
- Adding a spoonful of heavy cream or coconut milk at the last stage gives it that much more robust flavour.
PREPPING AND STORAGE
- Fridge: The leftover chickpea curry can be kept for 3 days in a container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Freeze chickpea curry with cream added. It is good for up to 1 month. Just gently heat and add fresh herbs when serving.