Healthy & Easy Chickpea Curry

 

This Healthy Chickpea Curry is easy to make and very hearty. When I was younger, I lived with my aunt who made curries all of the time. She would make so many delicious dishes all the time in no time at all!  It all seemed so quick and easy. It was a joy to watch! She gave me great advice on how to thicken a curry. Hard to imagine that if you boil cauliflower and potatoes and mash them together that they would make a great vegan thickener. 

Recently, I was inspired to make a curry after I drove past a great restaurant in my town that makes a delicious chickpea curry roti with a curry garlic dip. It was honestly so delicious. They put the curry on a roti, added shredded carrot and the curry garlic dip, folded it over and grilled it.  Oh boy, was it good. I really loved the taste of the curry garlic dip. I thought it was a great addition to this dish.

Ingedients:

1 large can of chickpeas, or 2 smaller cans,*do not drain*

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsp. Olive oil, and 1 tbsp. Butter 2 garlic cloves minced 2 tbsp. Ginger, minced 1 jalepeno, diced small 2 romas diced 1 tsp. Black mustard seeds (buy at Walmart) 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp paprika 1-2 tsp garam masala 1-2 tsp. Chili powder 1 tsp. Chana chat (buy at walmart) 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp. Tomato paste 1/2 cup cilantro

Thickener: Chopped small, 1/4 head cauliflower, and 2 potatoes, peeled In a saucepan, add enough water to just cover the cauliflower and potatoes. Boil the cauliflower and potatoes together until very soft and when the water has mostly evaporated. Use a potato masher to mash it down good. Set aside.

Directions:

In a saute pan, over medium heat add the oil and butter. Once sizzling add the onion and 1 tsp. Black mustard seed. Continue to cook the onions until they are tansluscent and slightly browned. Approximately 10 mintues.

Add all of the spices, the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and tomato. Cook for 3-5 more minutes.

At this point, add 2 to 3 tbsp. of tomato paste. Keep stirring and cook for 3 more minutes. The longer you cook the tomato paste before adding liquid the less bitter it will be.

Add in the chickpeas including its liquid (this gives a nice depth to the curry). Add in the 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook for 5 minutes and then simmer. To thicken the curry, add in spoonfulls of the cauliflower/potato mash. Stir, and taste. Add as much as needed or desired. Add in the fresh cilantro and you are ready to serve!

Serve in bowls, and add a heaping dallop of the garlic curry mayo. On the side, have grilled pita or naan bread and of course more of the curry dip.

Garlic Curried Mayo Dip

1/2 cup mayo 1 heaping tbsp. Plain yogurt 1 tsp curry 1 garlic clove 2 tsp. Ketchup Small squeeze of lemon Dash of salt Directions: Mix all ingredients together. Taste and adjust as needed.