Divine Chickpea Curry

 A recipe that is far far away from my comfort zone. My childhood was filled with Mediterranean flavors, parsley, basil, and sage were part of every meal. This beautiful chickpea curry takes us on a completely different journey. The first time I made this I crushed each whole spice in my mortar and pestle. It was a meditative experience and the end result was spectacular. However, I realize this is quite a lengthy process and the recipe comes out just as decadent with ready ground spices! Your home will fill with warmth as you cook this at your stove, the scent of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom will linger around your body and soul.  The cilantro basmati brown rice is packed with flavor and pairs perfectly with the chickpea curry. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 

The Goods:

2 14 ounce cans Eden Organic Chickpeas (Or any chickpeas you have on hand. If you use dry remember to soak overnight and triple rinse)

3 medium yellow or sweet onions

1 2 inch piece of ginger minced or grated

5-6 cloves garlic

3 large tomatoes

1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil

½ cup water

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander (or for an even more amazing flavor, use fresh coriander and grind it in a mortar and pestle

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 teaspoons of pink salt to taste

½ lemon zested and juiced

2 bunches of cilantro

1 cup basmati brown rice

3 cups Veggie stock to make the rice

Get Cooking:

If you are grinding your own coriander or mixing your own garam masala you can do this before you begin! You can also begin boiling your rice.

Very finely chop one of your onions and set aside. With the remaining two you will place them in your food processor with the garlic cloves, and the ginger to make a smooth puree. Next step will be to put your tomatoes in the food processor and puree until smooth.

Next you are going to heat your oil in a large sauté pan, I use cast iron. Add your minced onion and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. You want the onions to be fragrant and a beautiful golden color. Curries are all about developing flavor and taking your time so don’t rush this process or you will lose a lot of the amazing flavor from the onion!  Next add your two purees, the onion garlic and ginger and the tomato. Stir to combine and continue cooking on medium low for another 15 minutes. Add all of your spices and stir to combine. Allow this to become fragrant for about 2-3 minutes. Add your drained chickpeas and stir to combine. Add your half cup of water, pink salt to taste and lemon juice. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until thick and gorgeous smelling. Turn off heat and add a whole bunch of fresh cilantro leaves. 

To assemble your cilantro basmati rice place your cooked rice in a large bowl. Add the whole bunch of chopped cilantro, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a pinch of coriander seed to brighten the flavor even more!

Serve your chickpea curry over your rice and enjoy!

Tip: Curry is even better when it is allowed to rest for a bit. Feel free to make this ahead and reheat to serve. The flavors will have had a chance to minge and develop!

If you are interested in combining your own garam masala here are some measurements to help you out!

This will make about ¼ cup of garam masala.

 1 tablespoon ground cumin

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg