1,000 Indian Recipes (212 page)

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cup water

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

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teaspoon garam masala

1.
Boil the potato in lightly salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tamarind paste, then in a mortar and pestle, or with the back of a large spoon, coarsely grind the panch-phoran seeds. When the potato is cooked, let cool, then peel and finely chop it.

2.
Heat both the oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the panch-phoran; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper, then add the coriander, turmeric, and asafoetida.

3.
Mix in the chickpeas, potato, and water and cook, stirring carefully, until they are tender and most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind paste and cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a large platter, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Chickpeas with Spinach and Potato Wedges

Sookhae Channae, Palak, aur Aalu

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Indians cook chickpeas in a many ways, and with the convenience of canned chickpeas, it's easy to make them often. Here is one uncommon recipe with familiar flavors.

2 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste

1 tablespoon
Chickpea Masala with Pomegranate Seeds
(or store-bought)

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

3 to 4 small (about 1 pound) unpeeled red or Yukon gold potatoes

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 to 5 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

1
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teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, coarsely ground

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teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

1 large bunch (12 to 14 ounces) fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and finely chopped

2 (15
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-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1
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⁄
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cups water

¹
⁄
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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
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teaspoon garam masala

2 small tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste, the chickpea masala, and the ginger-garlic paste. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes. Let cook, then cut into wedges. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers, cumin, and fenugreek seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the turmeric and chickpea flour and stir over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir 1 minute. Then add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, water, tamarind paste, and cilantro, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chickpeas are soft, about 7 minutes. Mix in the coriander, chickpea masala, and garam masala during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the tomato wedges, and serve.

Chickpeas in Traditional Curry Sauce

Rassaedar Channae

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made the traditional way with dried chickpeas, this dish is a Saturday ritual in my mother's home in New Delhi. It has a thin, soupy sauce into which my mother loves dipping
chapatis
(whole-wheat griddle breads), not rice, as one normally would with soupy entrées. A big time-saver is the pressure cooker, or for even faster results, use four 15
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⁄
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-ounce cans of chickpeas (drained and rinsed well) instead of the dried ones and begin with Step 2.

1
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⁄
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cups dried chickpeas, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 to 4
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cups water

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teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

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teaspoon garam masala +
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⁄
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teaspoon for garnish

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teaspoon ground turmeric

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teaspoon ground paprika

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

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cup plain nonfat yogurt, whisked until smooth

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Soak the chickpeas overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Then drain and place them in a pressure cooker along with the water, baking soda, and salt. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the beans are very soft with some of them broken; if not, cover, bring up to pressure, and cook under high pressure another minute. Or cover and boil until the chickpeas are soft and creamy, about 30 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, in a food processor or a blender, process together the onion, green chile peppers, garlic, and ginger to make a paste. Remove to a bowl, then purée the tomatoes.

3.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion-garlic paste and cook, stirring, over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the juices evaporate, about 7 minutes.

4.
Add the coriander, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, and lime juice, then add the yogurt a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling. Mix into the chickpeas and simmer about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add more water for a thinner curry. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro and garam masala, and serve.

Chutney Chickpeas with Tamarind
 

Imli-Channae

Makes 6 to 8 servings

What separates one chickpea dish from another, besides the method of preparation, is the spices. This dish, made with naturally sour tamarind, is as much an entrée as it is a chutney when paired with
samosas
, sandwiches, and grilled fare.

This dish was originally made popular by vendors who traversed the streets of northern India with a cannister of chickpeas strapped to their bicycle, and set up shop wherever there was a crowd or whenever they were stopped by hungry customers.