Indian Chickpea Stew Food

INDIAN CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Peel butternut squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds.
• Chop butternut squash into ½ inch cubes and set aside.
• Dice onion and red bell pepper, set aside.
• Mince garlic and set aside.
• Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add onion and bell pepper into skillet, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Season with salt & pepper.
• Add Garam masala and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
• Add tomato sauce, ginger paste, tomatoes, chickpeas, butternut squash, and 1 ½ cups water.
• Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 45 minutes until thick.
• Add lime juice and chopped cilantro.

CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; saute cumin seeds for 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is dark brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add coriander; cook and stir for 20 seconds.
• Mix chickpeas, water, potato, 1 teaspoon cilantro, salt, and pepper into onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan, and simmer until potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir tomato into chickpea stew; increase heat to medium and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cilantro over stew.

INDIAN BUTTER CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until golden and browned around the edges, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Don't be tempted to turn the heat up to medium-high; keeping the heat on medium ensures even browning without burning the butter.)
• Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook another 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick, and cook another 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes with their juices. Using a large spoon or flat spatula, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot (or you can use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes while they are still in the can). Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and continuing to mash up the tomatoes if necessary to help them break down.
• Stir in chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Serve spooned over white rice, and topped with cilantro.

CHANA MASALA (SAVORY INDIAN CHICK PEAS)

Steps:

• Grind onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and chile pepper together in a food processor into a paste.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the paste into the skillet and cook until the oil begins to separate from the mixture and is golden brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with chili powder, coriander, powder, gram masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir enough water into the mixture to get a thick gravy; bring to a boil and stir chickpeas into the gravy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

CHANA PUNJABI (INDIAN CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Saute until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili and saute until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Puree mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and place over medium heat. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, about 45 minutes. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent burning. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed and serve with cooked rice, if desired.

SHIRO (GROUND-CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• Prepare the spice mix: Place cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, peppercorns, cardamom and allspice in a small heavy skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the smell is very aromatic and spices are lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer the mixture to a clean coffee grinder, add the chiles and onion flakes, and grind to a fine powder (or use a mortar and pestle). Transfer the ground spices to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, and sift. Regrind whatever large pieces remain in the sieve, and add them to the bowl with the ground spices. Add the paprika, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk well to combine, and transfer the mixture to an airtight jar. (Makes about 1/2 cup.)
• Prepare the shiro: Place the onion and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until very finely minced, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even chopping. Set aside.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-low heat. When the pot is warm, add oil, onion purée, 2 tablespoons berbere and a large pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then cover pot, and let aromatics cook gently while you prepare tomatoes.
• Place tomatoes in the food processor, and pulse until puréed. Add to onion mixture, and increase heat to high. When mixture boils, reduce heat to low, and whisk in chickpea flour. The mixture will be quite thick, like peanut butter. While stirring, slowly pour in 2 cups water in a thin stream to loosen the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes smooth and integrated.
• Increase heat to medium-high to bring shiro to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes to cook off the raw taste of the chickpea flour and integrate all the flavors. Stir in the jalapeños and season to taste with salt.
• Serve immediately. (Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Store unused berbere in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.)

EASIEST INDIAN STEW

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and keep warm.
• While rice is cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add curry powder and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve stew with rice and yogurt, garnished with lime wedges and a pinch of curry.