Bowl of comfort in chickpea curry

The Star

20 hours ago

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans in Spanish, is a nutritious plant-based ingredient for meat-free meals.
Believed to have originated in the Middle East – particularly in present-day Turkiye – this pulse crop later spread across the globe and continues to impress fans with its mild, creamy and nutty taste.
Chickpea curry can be eaten with chapati or rice.
Today, chickpeas are an important ingredient in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, some African nations and South America.
Among the more popular chickpea dishes that find a place on trendy restaurant menus nowadays are hummus and falafel, which are classic Middle Eastern dishes.
Once potatoes have softened, add the cooked chickpeas.
Boiled chickpeas tossed in a salad makes for a healthy meal.
My mum would boil chickpeas for us to snack on.
I also recall buying them from hawkers on bicycles who sold the soft, beige legume in cone-shaped newspaper packets.
Flavour the chickpea curry with coriander.
As a child, I always looked forward to the lightly salted chickpeas as they were surprisingly addictive.
Little did I know then, those humble chickpeas were brimming with nutrients.
Stir the chickpeas together with the curry masala paste.
Back then with several Punjabi families living on our street, we were often treated to sweet or savoury dishes from Gurdwara Sahib Kluang, especially during festive or celebratory occasions.
One of them was chickpea curry or chole masala.
The chickpea curry, with its thick orange-brown hue and bold flavours, brings back fond memories of my family gathered around the table, enjoying the flavourful dish with chapati.
Dice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
The curry, whether cooked dry or with gravy, pairs well with rice too.
With the help of my mum's best friend, Serijit Kaur Gill, who is like family, I learned to make chickpea curry once I invested in a pressure cooker.
Aunty Serijit shared that the dish relies heavily on onions and tomatoes.
While garlic is traditionally left out when prepared at the temple, she said home cooks have the freedom to include it if they wished.
She said cumin and fennel could be added too, for those who enjoy a more robust curry.
Chickpea curry
1 cup dried chickpeas
¼ tsp soda bicarbonate
2 large tomatoes (450g)
5 big red onions (450g)
3 garlic pips
2.5cm ginger (40g)
5 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 pods cardamom
4 pods dried chillies
2 pods green chillies
2 potatoes
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
5 sprigs coriander
1 sprig curry leaf
3 bay leaves (optional)
5 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp ghee
3 litres water
Directions
Soak chickpeas in one litre of water. Add ¼ tsp soda bicarbonate.
Cover and soak overnight. It does not have to be refrigerated.
When it is time to cook, wash the chickpeas and drain off the water.
The flavour of chickpea curry comes mainly from tomatoes and onions.
Transfer chickpeas to a pressure cooker pot to cook. Add 1.5 litres of water.
Wait for three whistles if using a traditional pressure pot, or 10 minutes in a modern pressure cooker.
Be careful when releasing steam from the pressure cooker, to avoid burns or scalding.
Alternatively, leave the chickpeas in the cooker until it cools down before attempting to open the pot.
If using a stovetop, cook the chickpeas for about an hour.
Once the chickpeas are done, drain the water and set aside.
In a deep pot, on medium heat, add five tbsp ghee and five tbsp vegetable oil.
Throw in the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom, dried chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
Stir for two minutes until the green chillies and curry leaves soften.
Next, add diced onions.
Chop the ginger and garlic fine or blend into a paste and add to the aromatics.
Stir until the onions become translucent.
Throw in three bay leaves.
Dice two large tomatoes and stir until the fruits soften.
Stir curry and chilli powders into half a cup of water to create a smooth slurry.
Pour slurry into the pot, and mix together.
Rinse the container with ½ cup water, and if the curry paste is too thick, add another cup of water.
While waiting for the curry to cook, dice the potatoes into bite-size pieces and add to the curry.
Season with two tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Stir and cover the pot.
Turn the dial to low heat to prevent burning.
Cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until a fork pushes through.
Once oil is noticeable on the surface, it is time for the cooked chickpeas to go in.
Simmer on low heat for five minutes.
Flavour the chickpea curry with cut coriander.
Savour the chickpea curry with rice or chapati, along with cucumber, tomato and onion raita.