Chickpeas
are readily available canned, but cooking them from scratch is so simple and
makes a world of difference in taste and texture, especially in delicious
curries. These tasty legumes are a staple in Indian, North African, and Middle
Eastern cuisines, and they’re as nutritious as they are flavorful.
|
Dry Chickpeas |
Curry
recipes abound—they’re as plentiful as the cooks who make them, but the base is
typically a blend of aromatic spices, including turmeric. For this recipe, I
included lean chicken breast to round out the meal and cooked it all very
simply in a slow-cooker to let the flavors have plenty of time to meld.
Blend in a
little tangy yogurt at the end and serve over rice for a delicious, wholesome,
and inviting dinner.
Note: The initial amount of broth is
needed to slow-cook the chicken and beans but it is likely too much to serve
with the curry. Remove the solid ingredients to a large skillet with only one cup of broth before stirring in the yogurt (as noted below) for a thicker, drier dish. If
you like your curry a little soupy, simply stir in the yogurt as is.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry
chickpeas
- 1 lb
boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large (about 2-inch) chunks
- 3 finger
chiles (or cayenne), finely chopped
- 2 garlic
cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-inch
piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp
ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp
ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups
chicken broth
- 3 tbsp
plain Greek yogurt
- 3 cups
cooked rice
|
Chicken Breast Ready to Cook |
|
Aromatic Curry Ingredients |
|
Prepared Curry Ingredients |
Preparation
- Place the
chickpeas in a pot and cover with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and
let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand 1 hour and
drain.
|
Soaked Chickpeas |
- Place the
chicken, chiles, onion, garlic, ginger, and ground spices in a slow-cooker. Add
the drained beans and broth and cook on high 5 hours. (The chickpeas should be a little firm, not mushy.)
|
Chicken, Vegetables, and Spices in the Slow-Cooker |
|
Chickpeas and Broth Added |
|
Slow-Cooked Curry |
- Heat a
large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the
ingredients of the cooker to the skillet. Add 1 cup of the liquid from the
cooker and stir in the yogurt. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly until the
curry has thickened a bit. (Alternatively, leave the ingredients in the
slow-cooker and stir in the yogurt. This will result in a soupier curry.)
|
Curry with Yogurt |
To serve, divide the cooked rice among 6 shallow
bowls. Divide and spoon the curry on top. serve right away.
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