Indian Butter Chickpeas
Published December 31, 2019
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 small cinnamon stick
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
Ground cayenne (optional)
Cooked white rice, for serving
½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
51 grams carbs; 20 milligrams cholesterol; 482 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 841 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 10 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook until golden and browned around the edges, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to medium-high; keeping the heat on medium ensures even browning without burning the butter.)
- Step 2
Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook another 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick, and cook another 30 seconds.
- Step 3
Add tomatoes with their juices. Using a large spoon or flat spatula, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot (or you can use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes while they are still in the can). Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and continuing to mash up the tomatoes if necessary to help them break down.
- Step 4
Stir in chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Step 5
Serve spooned over white rice, and topped with cilantro.
Private Notes
Comments
Don’t use coconut milk. It actually ruins what is a classic Indian dish eaten in every part of India - and our mothers and grandmothers have figured out over the centuries that coconut or its extract/milk is not a good match for the gentle, buttery taste of chickpeas and actually muddies the flavor. (Prakash and Sumam - thanks for the sage comments).
Two alterations to take this to a WOW-level dinner. First, puree the onions, spices, and tomatoes together before adding the coconut milk and chickpeas. This makes a silky, more restaurant-style sauce. Second, I found this recipe made a lot more sauce than the chickpeas needed, so I cubed up some extra firm tofu and added that in. The tofu soaks up all of the spices and feels like a paneer, but with much less fat and much more protein. Will DEFINITELY repeat.
I'm not understanding the need to judge Martha's adjustments to the recipe. What's the problem? She's suggesting that the recipe is flexible enough to substitute other proteins for the chickpeas. She is not arguing that other people should make it "non-vegetarian," "non-Indian," or should not follow the recipe exactly. Totally confused here by the need to scold Martha for adjusting it to her needs/pantry/taste.
To simplify this, I use a large can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole. Also, I like to puree the sauce together before adding the chickpeas. Thick, smooth and flavorful, very nice. I've lost count of how many times I have made this.
Does anyone know why it says to cook the onion for twenty minutes? I never cook onions that long.
If you cook the onions low and slow in butter, they caramelize. Completely different flavor profile vs sautéed or browned onions. You can do this using any cooking fat, but with butter it’s exceptionally delicious. Sweet and rich rather than sharp.
This was very good. I didn't have any garam masala so I subbed some curry powder. Used 1/8 tsp of cinnamon in place of the cinnamon stick and used dried ginger. Also used tomatoes that were already diced but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. Hubby isn't a fan of chickpeas so I may try this in the future with something else.