Lenten Recipe: Kenyan Chickpea Curry
Photo via MasterClass
If you’re abstaining from meat over the Lenten season, here’s another wonderful meatless dish you can make! Or, you can just make it because it’s delicious.
This is a vegetable curry typical to the Kenyan Indian community. The soaking step is a must if you desire soft and crunchy chickpeas, and to fully release the nutrients! In Kenya, this deliciously spicy dish is commonly referred to as “Chole” and is eaten with fried bread called “Bhature” made from soft wheat flour. Chickpea curry is eaten as part of a main meal during lunch or dinner and is savored by the entire family.
Kenyan Chickpea Curry
Soak chickpeas overnight. Cook time: 40 minutes. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2/3 cups chickpeas, raw
1 2/3 cups chickpeas, raw
1 tsp. red chili powder
½ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. chole masala
3 tomatoes, red, ripe
1 tbsp. tomato paste, salted
1 onion, red skinned, raw, unpeeled
3 tbsp. cooking oil
4 cloves garlic
1 piece ginger
2 tbsp. coriander leaves
1 tbsp. coriander powder
6 sticks cinnamon
2 ½ tsp. salt, iodized
½ bay leaf
4 sticks cloves
1 tsp. cumin seeds, raw
1 lemon wedge
3 cups water
1 tsp. anise seeds, raw
Directions
Sort and soak the chickpeas overnight.
Wash and boil the chickpeas in 2 cups water until the chickpeas are tender. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to taste.
Prepare, wash and cut the onion, tomatoes and coriander leaves.
Heat the oil in a cooking pot, add cinnamon, cumin, cloves, onion and stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add the cut tomatoes, ginger, garlic and coriander powder. Stir.
Add the tomato paste, red chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, turmeric powder, cinnamon, bay leaf, lemon juice, anise seeds and chole masala.
Stir and cover to cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add the coriander leaves.
Add the boiled chick peas and 1 cup of water.
Cover to cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve.
Suggestions
Chickpea curry can be too spicy to eat on it’s own.
Serve over rice or with warm bread (especially naan) to dilute the spice.
If not abstaining from dairy, a dollop of plain yogurt also helps reduce the spice.
