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Indian Spiced Chickpea Stew

This warming, slightly spicy stew has a cooked-all-day flavor, but it comes together in just over a half hour. Take note: don’t forget the mango chutney and yogurt—they’re important elements to the dish and put everything in balance. The chutney adds a bit of sweetness and the yogurt cools things down to just the right level.
Servings: 4
Author: Nicki Sizemore

Ingredients

  • 1 medium red onion , coarsely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves , peeled
  • 2 jalapeño peppers , seeds and inner ribs discarded, coarsely chopped
  • 1 2- inch piece ginger , peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala (curry powder also works)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups chickpeas (2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced collard greens (stems removed and discarded)
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro , plus additional leaves for serving
  • Yogurt for serving
  • Mango chutney
  • Cooked basmati rice for serving

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, jalapeño and ginger. Process to a coarse paste, scraping down the sides occasionally.
  • Heat the oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the mixture from the food processor with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are light golden and tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, cumin and coriander and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes (with their liquid), 2 cups of water, the chickpeas and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add the collard greens and cook 3-5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Taste and add additional salt as needed (sometimes I’ll also add a small pinch of sugar, especially if I use curry powder which can be more bitter than garam masala). Do Ahead: The stew can be made up to 2 hours ahead and left covered at room temperature. Reheat gently before serving. I think it’s best the day it’s made, but it also makes for a delicious lunch the following day.
  • Serve the stew over basmati rice with a dollop of yogurt, a spoonful of mango chutney and a few cilantro leaves on top.