The Ten Minute Chickpea Curry

When a thunderstorm decides to camp out in your city, a cup of chole can go a long way in warming you up. If you, like me, need a hurry-up version of a chickpea curry in 10 minutes, this is a great recipe to keep in your kit! As evidenced by the hasty instagram photo, this is not a planned food post. But the curry tasted SO good that I had to catalogue the recipe in the blog for future reference and of course to share it with all of you!

Ingredients -

Oil - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 sliced
Turmeric - a pinch
Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Cayenne powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Tomato sauce - 1 can (I used the organic kind from Trader Joe's. You can use tomato puree or chopped tomatoes but I like my curry really really tangy and the sauce gives me the tangiest flavor.)
Chickpea/ Garbanzo - 2 cans (With Sea Salt from Trader Joe's)
Garam masala - depends on the strength of your masala. I used about 1 tablespoon Salt - to taste
Methi (Fenugreek) leaves dried - as garnish



Method -

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin seeds till they sizzle.

2. Add the onions and fry till soft.

3. Add the turmeric, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander, cumin powder and cayenne and stir to get an even mix. You can leave the onions as is but since I got the hand blender, I've been obsessed with it, so I went ahead and blended the onions into a paste. Took about 30 seconds.

4. Now add the tomato sauce and then the chickpeas. Once the mix starts boiling, add the garam masala and salt to taste. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. The gravy should look cohesive.

5. I usually stir in a little yogurt to tone down the heat and make it a little more creamy. You can add cashew paste or cream or coconut cream. Endless options!

6. Ladle the curry over a steaming bowl of rice. Garnish with some dried methi leaves and serve hot.

Squeeze some lime or make a quick yogurt dip if this is too much spice for you! You can also serve this curry with rotis, naan, poori, even bread. I love that such a yummy dish can be made in minutes with just a few basics from your pantry. Definitely try this and let me know how it worked for you!