Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

[apple_pathways]

It's been ages since I've posted a recipe here, and since I haven't much to say about anything else, I think it's the perfect time for one!

So, here's my take on Punjabi-style curried chickpeas. (I make no claims to authenticity, as I tend to use actual recipes as inspiration only--so if the recipe falls short of the experience of your grandmother's house in Delhi, the fault is entirely mine!)





If you're new to my recipes, let me apologize: I'm not good about measuring things. Unless I'm baking, I tend not to measure at all, but rather dump things in until I think it tastes good. I'll try to estimate the amounts of everything I used, but let your tastebuds guide you if you should try to replicate the dish, and feel free to add more or less of the spices according to your tastes!

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
  
• 3-5 cloves garlic
  
• 2 tsp. ginger paste, or fresh grated ginger
  
• About 3 Tbs. ghee, or olive oil
  
• 1 Tbs cumin
  
• 1 Tbs red chili powder
  
• 2 tsp coriander
  
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
  
• 1/2 to 1 tsp turmeric
  
• dried red chilis or crushed chili flakes, to your taste. (Omit if you don't like heat.)
  
• 2 large cans whole tomatoes, most of the juice drained
  
• 2 cans chick peas, drained
  
• small package frozen spinach (cut leaf)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Slice the onion into strips, about 1/4" thick. Chop up the garlic and grate the ginger, if you're using fresh root.
  
• In a large skillet, heat the ghee or olive oil. When the pan is hot, turn heat down to medium high and add the garlic. Stir for a minute or so until it gets fragrant, then add the onion and the ginger. I also add the spices at this point, as frying them draws out their natural oils.
  
• When the onions have browned, add the tomatoes and the chickpeas. Turn heat down to a simmer, and cook (stirring occasionally) until tomatoes break down. (About 15 minutes.)
  
• Add the spinach, and cook until heated through. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning.
  
• Serve over rice.

Comments

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, this sounds delicious. I'm going to have to give it a try next time I go grocery shopping.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Super easy, super delicious! And just what I needed after the crap I ate at a friend's birthday party last night. (Not that the food was bad--on the contrary! It was just really bad for me.) Other than the ghee (which really makes the dish, I think) everything in it is super healthy.

I'm gonna have to go over to your journal and read about your adventures in Portland. I looked at a couple of your pics, and they were amazing!

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know what you mean. I've lived the last few days on a diet that was almost entirely fried (there were only two meals that were exceptions). It was all delicious (fried clams, mmm), but I've been craving salad ever since.

I actually haven't finished writing about the shenanigans that I got up to in and around Portland, so there isn't much more than the pictures yet. The Oregon coast is absolutely amazing, though. I'm hoping the rest of my companions get their pictures up, because I somehow went through two sets of camera batteries and didn't get any pictures for the last half of our trip up the coast.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Eeh, that's why I always get sick whenever I go on vacation! No matter how hard I try to find fruit and yogurt for breakfast, and to order salads whenever I can, I just can't avoid the inevitable tummyaches.

Coast! I love coasts. I need to make my way to a 'coast' soon! In the meantime, I'll live vicariously.

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

I managed to avoid the tummyaches (goodness knows how I pulled that off in Europe, come to think of it), but I also ended up eating nearly 2000 calories for breakfast on Thursday. I probably should've scaled Mt. Hood on foot after that. Why is it so hard to find reasonable food when on vacation?

I wholeheartedly endorse coast visitation. This was my first time on the west coast, and I wasn't expecting cliffs and dunes and other dramatic things... I'm way more used to New York/New Jersey-style coasts. (-;