Saland-e Nakhod (Chickpea Yogurt Stew)
Updated Dec. 3, 2025
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2 or 3garlic cloves
- 1cup/8 ounces plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- Salt
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1red onion, finely chopped
- 1fresh green chile (such as Thai or serrano), finely chopped, plus a few whole chiles for serving
- 1tablespoon ground coriander
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1small tomato, very finely chopped
- 3(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see Tip)
- Cilantro, for serving
- Warmed flatbread or steamed basmati rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
651 calories; 19 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1159 milligrams sodium
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
Finely grate 2 garlic cloves directly into the yogurt in a bowl and season with salt. Stir to combine, then taste, adding the final clove if you want it more garlicky and more salt if needed. (Some will be stirred into the final stew at the end, mellowing the garlic slightly. The rest will be served alongside as a condiment.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Step 2
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and chile and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add more oil if the pan looks dry. Lower the heat slightly, then stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and black pepper and cook, stirring, until sizzling and fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the tomato and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Step 3
Add the chickpeas and 2 cups of water, or enough just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. It will thicken further once you add the yogurt later.
- Step 4
Remove from the heat, taste and add more salt if needed. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved garlic yogurt. Taste and add more yogurt if desired. Serve immediately, topped with the cilantro and alongside the remaining garlic yogurt, flatbread or rice and whole chiles to nibble on for extra heat.
- You can also start from dried chickpeas (often sold as garbanzo beans). The night before, rinse 2 cups dried chickpeas in a large fine-mesh sieve under cold running water. Transfer to a large bowl, add fresh water to cover generously and soak overnight. They will expand considerably. When ready to cook, drain and add in step 3, simmering the stew until the chickpeas are tender, at least 1 hour, adding more water as needed to keep them covered.
Private Notes
Comments
RE: Using dried chickpeas: even with overnight-soaked chickpeas, you'll want to use a pressure cooker/instant pot, on the "beans" setting (35 mins pressure + natural release). Cooking beans/chickpeas without pressure will take thrice as long. In South Asia, where legumes are the major daily source of dietary protein, a pressure cooker has been an essential kitchen device for at least 80 years. Urban life is too busy to spend 90+ minutes on a single recipe.
Edith: the canning liquid doesn’t have preservatives of any sort. Calcium chloride is a calcium salt that keeps the beans from getting too soft and falling apart during the canning process. It’s a harmless source of calcium, not a "preservative". The liquid is thickened by starch and protein leached from the beans themselves and adds nice body to soups and stews. Low sodium beans are available everywhere.
This recipe's similar to the South Asian dish cholé (="chickpeas" in Punjabi), but uses yoghurt as a souring agent instead of tamarind, unripe mango powder (aamchoor), or dried pomegranate seeds. (Most cholé recipes also use proportionately more tomatoes, plus fresh ginger and garam masala) . I'm wondering why Eric calls for draining the canned chickpeas only to add 2 cups of water in step 3. The canning liquid (known as "aquafaba" to vegans) is perfectly palatable.
Absolutely fantastic! Made 1 cup dry chickpeas in my instant pot. While that was cooking, prepped the other ingredients using full amount of spices. Perfect meatless meal on a cold wintry evening. Served with sautéed Swiss chard and millet. Used better than bullion broth rather than plain water. No added salt needed. Titrated spiciness with extra chili on the side. Made 3 hefty main course servings.
I have made this a few times since trying it a few weeks ago. I love it. I love recipes that don't require a lot of time/effort but result in such yumminess. I only use 2 cans of chickpeas and reduce the water. I had some fresh curry leaves on hand this time so I added some to the onions. Highly recommend!
Cooked it according to the recipe (it just needed more salt) and it turned out really, really tasty. The tang of the yoghurt against the warmth of the spices is delicious.