Chickpea curry

Chickpea curry is inexpensive, tasty and filling. After a little bit of chopping it can be left on the stove or in the slow cooker to take care of itself, and the leftovers hold up well in the fridge or freezer. It's a great recipe to fill bellies during a busy week!

For the curry:

• 2 tablespoons oil
  
  
• 1 onion
  
  
• 3 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
  
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (or 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger)
  
  
• 2 tablespoons curry powder (or Garam Masala)
  
  
• 1 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder or paprika (optional)
  
  
• 1 796 mL can diced tomatoes
  
  
• 1 cup water or broth
  
  
• 1 540 mL can chickpeas
  
  
• 1 cup half and half cream, plain yogurt, or coconut milk
  
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

• Rice, naan bread, or roti
  
  
• Cilantro and lime juice for garnish (optional)

1. Dice onion and mince garlic and ginger. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
   
   
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add spices and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and water (or broth) to the pot and stir. Heat to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally, to keep curry from burning.
   
   
4. Stir in cream (or yogurt, or coconut milk) and simmer another 5 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
5. Ladle curry into bowls and serve with rice, roti, or naan bread, as well as cilantro and a splash of lime juice for garnish (optional).

• To make with dried chickpeas, soak around 1 cup of chickpeas in water overnight. Boil in fresh water the next day until soft (around an hour or two) before adding them to the curry. Don't try to simmer the dry chickpeas in the curry to cook them; the acid in the tomato juice will prevent them from softening.
  
  
• This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. First sautee onion, garlic and ginger in a pan as directed. Add to a slow cooker with all other curry ingredients, and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, until all flavours are combined.

• Many more vegetables can be added to this curry. Try adding carrots, bell peppers, potatoes or sweet potatoes to the onions, and sauteeing them until soft. Spinach, other greens, or frozen peas can also be stirred in at the very end, to keep from overcooking them.
  
  
• Try adding cayenne pepper or hot sauce, if you like spicier curry!

• Curry can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  
  
• To freeze, cool completely and then transfer into airtight freezer safe containers or bags. Keep in freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from the Mississauga Food Bank

Food is Too Expensive! was funded by the City of Saskatoon through our Healthy Yards partnership, the Cyril Capling Trust Fund of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and the Department of Plant Sciences. Focus group research to inform this work was collected by CHEP. Thank you all for helping us make healthy food more accessible!