I am currently in the middle of a move, which means that most of my kitchen is packed, and we are trying hard to subsist on whatever is in the cupboards instead of buying more groceries. It can get interesting, and almost like a game. "Gee Kev, what should mom make? We have tuna, baked beans, hot sauce, and...crackers?"
The other night I remembered this recipe for a great curry that requires only chick peas, tomatoes, and spices. With some rice and the last of the mango chutney, it made a perfect cupboard dinner. I added a dollop of yogurt on the side for a little cooling effect as well. As it sits the flavour develops, so it makes delicious leftovers the next day and would be fantastic for lunch, too!
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 hot pepper, minced (I used a little red bird's eye chile)
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
ground cayenne (you can adjust this to your liking-I skip it and we add hot sauce at the table)
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry skillet and ground
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
28 oz can of whole tomatoes, drained (reserve the juices)
2/3 cup coconut milk (or water, if you prefer. I love the coconut)
two 19 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
lemon, zested and one half juiced
fresh chopped cilantro
plain greek yogurt
mango chutney
hot steamed rice
Ingredients:
In a large, deep, pan saute the onion, garlic, hot pepper, and ginger in a little oil until cooked through and softened. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne (if using), tumeric, paprika, cumin seeds, and garam masala and continue to cook and stir while the spices become fragrant.
Chop up the whole tomatoes and add them with their juices to the pan, scraping up bits off the bottom. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of the reserved tomato juices. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, stirring, before turning the heat down to low and letting it simmer for about 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in salt, then zest a lemon over top, cut the lemon in half, and squeeze in some juice. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and then ladle into bowls with hot steamed rice. Serve mango chutney and plain yogurt on the side.
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
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