Chile Crisp Chickpea Rice Bowls Food

CHAAT PARTY

Steps:

• Put each item in an individual bowl alongside a stack of larger bowls to enable your guests to mix up their chaat with a spoon or, more traditionally, their hands.
• As a starter suggestion for assembly: Begin with a crunchy base (crackers, bhel or murukku), add vegetables and fruits, then chutneys and raita, and finally lime juice, plus any combination of other toppings, such as chaat masala, red chile powder and sev. Improv and adjustments are encouraged.

HOMEMADE CHILI CRISP

Steps:

• Bring oil, shallots, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium saucepan. Continue simmering, swishing oil around occasionally, until garlic and shallots are browned, about 20 minutes.
• Mix red pepper flakes, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, mushroom powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Strain shallot mixture through a fine mesh sieve over the ginger-pepper flake mixture. Let garlic and shallot pieces cool in sieve before stirring back into the infused oil. Pour into a glass container with a top and chill until ready to use.

CHILE-CRISP CHICKPEA RICE BOWLS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rice rest, covered, until ready to eat. (Alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker or however you like to cook rice.)
• While the rice cooks, make the chickpeas: Add the chile crisp to a large (12-inch), nonstick skillet and heat over medium. (Make sure there is enough oil - not just solids - covering the bottom of the skillet. If your chile oil is mostly solids, add a little neutral oil to cover to skillet.)
• Add the chickpeas and a pinch of sugar, stir to coat in the oil, then spread into an even layer. Cook until the chickpeas start to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp all over, 7 to 10 minutes more. If the pan looks dry at any point, add a drizzle of neutral oil (or more chile crisp if you want it really, really spicy).
• While the chickpeas and rice cook, stir together the tomatoes, celery, celery leaves, cilantro, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar in a medium bowl.
• When the rice and chickpeas are ready, divide the rice among plates or bowls. Pour some of the liquid from the bowl of tomatoes over the rice, then top with the tomatoes and celery, the chickpeas and more chile crisp, if desired.

CHILE CRISP

Steps:

• Combine the oil, onion, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chiles, sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorns, if using, and sizzle, stirring, for 1 minute, then stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Spoon over everything. It adds big flavor to milder bases, such as eggs, tofu, noodles, rice, vegetables, white fish, lean pork and chicken breast.