I've been making a variation on this recipe for chickpea tikka masala.
I serve it with basmati rice and these yogurt flatbreads, which are kind of a production, but fun to make and popular with my family.
Here's my version of the chickpea recipe. A great pantry meal! Next time I'm going to add some frozen chopped spinach.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon peeled grated/minced fresh ginger root
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon garam masala (see NOTE)
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
One 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- One 15-ounce can coconut milk (regular or low-fat)
- One 15-ounce can tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large, nonreactive skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garam masala and cayenne, if using, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
Increase the heat to medium-high; once the mixture begins bubbling around the edges, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle bubbling. Mash up some of the chickpeas using a potato masher (this will help thicken the sauce -- but be sure to leave some of the chickpeas whole). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chickpeas are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 5-10 more minutes to let the flavors blend.
NOTE: If you can't find garam masala, you can substitute this spice blend: 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
