Curried Chickpeas With Fresh Ginger and Cilantro

From The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker

If you think ordinary when you think of slow cookers, think again. And if you think of chicken, beef, and pork, Lynn Alley will give you an attitude adjustment. You can take your meatless meals to a new level with her new book, The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals From Around the World. Try this recipe and you’ll see why Alley’s recipes, though exceedingly easy, are anything but run of the mill.

Serves 6 to 8

As anyone familiar with Indian food knows, chickpeas are one of the most common types of legumes found on Indian tables. In this popular recipe, the spices and fresh ingredients are added at the very end of the cooking time to preserve optimum flavor and freshness. Regulate the heat by the amount of cayenne you use.

2 cups dried chickpeas
6 cups water
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup sesame or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods
1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Yogurt, for serving (optional)
3 fresh serrano chiles, seeded, deveined, and cut into julienne, for garnish
A few fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Thoroughly rinse the chickpeas and place them in the slow cooker insert along with the water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chickpeas are tender.

In a large sauté pan, brown the onion in the sesame oil until dark brown in color, about 15 minutes.

Combine the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, chile powder, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne in an electric coffee mill or a mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse powder.

Add the coarsely ground spices to the onion and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, then add the onion and spices to the cooked chickpeas. Recover and continue cooking for another 30 to 60 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, purée some of the chickpeas in the insert to thicken the mixture.

Add salt to taste, then stir in the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls, add a dollop of yogurt, and garnish with the chile slices and cilantro leaves.

Suggested Beverage: I would enjoy a light- to medium-bodied white wine, such as a Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or Spanish Rueda or Albariño.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis for 8 servings: Calories: 227; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 11 mg; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Fiber: 8 g; Protein: 9 g

Reprinted with permission from The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals From Around the World by Lynn Alley, copyright © 2010. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc, www.tenspeed.com