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Sweet & Spicy Chickpea Curry- Easy to make!
Before we start...
Lately, I have been on a curry cooking frenzy and this was a recipe I have used about 5 times now. This Sweet & Spicy Curry dish is a delightful vegetarian entrée that a friend of mine gave me a recipe for, and I tweaked it a bit to suit my taste. While it may not be a traditional Indian dish, it certainly smells as tasty as one! It uses all the key spices in typical Indian Cuisine and is sweet, with a spicy after taste. Don't be turned off by the ingredient list, as you will see when you start to cook it that it really is pretty simple. And even if it sounds weird, the pear is essential! I was skeptical at first but the pear is what really ties it all together. Also, if you are not a fan of spicy food you can always tone down the cayenne pepper to your liking. I am not a super spicy fan, but I found the cayenne to complement the rest of the things in this dish very well. Bon Appetite!
Tip: Goes GREAT on rice!!
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 3.5-4 Cups Water
- 2 Cubes Vegetable Bouillon
- 1 Cup Raisins (or Craisins)
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Chopped Onions
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Ginger
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1,5 Teaspoon Turmeric
- 1.5 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1.5 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 (19 oz) Cans Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas
- 1 Peeled and Diced White yam, Sweet Potatoes are ok if you can't find a white yam, or even a zucchini
- 1 Diced pear
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- Cilantro to taste
- 1 Cup Zucchini, optional, it's hearty without it!
- Salt to taste
- In a small pan, heat the water and add the bouillon. Then, add the raisins. Let them reach a boil and bring down to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onions. Let them cook for a while until they are translucent. Then, add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Next, add in the cinnamon sticks, sale, cayenne, turmeric, coriander, and cumin until they are nicely blended. Sometimes I even add an extra dash of cinnamon powder, but that is up to you!
- Then, add in the beans, the chopped yam, and the diced pear. Stir. Add the bouillon-raisin mix to the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boiling point, bring down to a simmer and cover. Let this sit covered until the vegetables are soft and are able to be cut with a spoon. This takes approximately an hour.
- Add the cilantro and enjoy!
Tips:
* Add a cup of chopped zucchini for more bulk if you like (in the stage when you add the yam), or use it as a replacement for the yam if you absolutely detest yams. The spices will still do their work for the flavor part!
*If you don't have bouillon, vegetable stock or chicken stock would work fine also.
*Add the cilantro right before serving, it brings out the flavor the best.
*It may seem liquidy at first, but once the curry cools down it thickens pretty quickly.
*This dish can last for days as leftovers! I've found it still to be good after a week, which was great.
*If you really want to add meat to it, chicken works the best.
