Chickpea Curry With A Touch Of Fennel Food

CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRY

Steps:

• Measure spices into a bowl including coriander, cumin, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, mustard, cloves, cardamom, paprika, pepper to taste,* and cayenne pepper to taste.*
• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch saute pan or a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until lightly golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add garlic and ginger and saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, add spices and saute 30 seconds.
• Pour and stir in tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring just to a simmer then reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer 10 minutes.
• Carefully pour mixture into a blender. Cover blender with lid and remove center insert from lid and cover with a kitchen towel or several folded layer of paper towels. Blend on low speed until smooth.
• Return mixture to pan, add chick peas, season with salt to taste. Cover while leaving lid partially open for steam to escape.** Cook over low heat stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced slightly and chick peas have absorbed some flavor, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in lime. Serve warm over rice if desired, garnish with cilantro.

CHICKPEA CURRY WITH A TOUCH OF FENNEL

Steps:

• In a frying pan put the butter, diced onion, by leaves, cardamom (remove seeds from the pod and powder them), cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds and the diced tomato.
• Fry over medium heat until the onion is golden. Use a large spoon to mash up the tomato as it cooks.
• Add the cayenne, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, salt, and fresh cilantro. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas and their liquid. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and a thick sauce has formed.
• Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
• Serve with rice or Indian bread.
• Notes: Instead of butter you can add ghee (clarified butter). Reduce the cayenne if you don't want it to be spicy.

CHICKEN-CHICKPEA CURRY

Steps:

• Pulse 3 chopped tomatoes, the shallots, ginger, jalapeno, curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring often, until darkened and paste-like, 10 to 12 minutes (add water as needed if the mixture is sticking).
• Add 2 1/2 cups water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken, okra and cilantro. Cook, stirring gently, until the okra is crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among bowls and top with yogurt, more cilantro and the remaining chopped tomato. Serve with naan.

CHICKPEAS AND FENNEL WITH RICE

Steps:

• Soak rice in pot for ten minutes in enough water to cover. When ten minutes are up, rinse the rice and add 1 cup fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil, then set on low heat to simmer for 8-9 minutes.
• While rice cooks, chop fennel bulb and put in pan with olive oil. Cook on medium heat until fennel begins to soften.
• Add chopped garlic, chickpeas, salt and pepper.
• When rice is finished cooking, turn off burner under rice and leave, covered, for ten minutes more (makes it fluffy).
• Add garam masala to chickpeas and fennel for remaining five minutes of cooking, while the rice is sitting, and add fresh fennel tops (the feathery parts) near the end of cooking (just to warm them up).
• Serve side by side on big plates, and enjoy!