Cooking on the Ridge: Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
by James Coulter
Autumn is passing. Winter is drawing near. The nights are getting longer. And the weather is getting colder. It’s the best time of year to dust off the old slow cooker.
Because nothing warms the soul after a long cold day than a warm meal prepared with a slow cooker. And nothing kicks up the heat another notch than a spicy bowl of curry.
Yes, I do love curry. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with curry recipes with the slow cooker. If you recall, I’ve prepared several recipes before, from Japanese style curry to butter chicken.
This time around, I’ve decided to try my hand at a personal favorite: chickpea curry. Because sometimes the most filling curry are surprisingly vegan.
This recipe calls for the curry to be cooked with water, though you can use broth. I decided to use heavy cream for a creamier batch, though coconut works just as well.
I also decided to kick up the spice levels a few notches with some alterations. For example, I used fire-roasted tomatoes with chilis. I sautéed the onions and garlic with jalapeno infused olive oil. And, of course, I dumped in a small can of diced jalapeños.
The result was a nice and spicy batch of curry that proved quite warming on a cold evening. My batch was slightly soupy, but if anything, it made it easier to sop with garlic naan bread.
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Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
(Recipe from Vegan in the Freezer)
Ingredients
16 ounces chickpeas, dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cup onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
¼ cup tomato paste
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda – this helps chickpeas to soften when cooking, just ¼ tsp.
3 cups water
Directions
1) The night before place the chickpeas in a 6-to-8-quart slow cooker and cover with water to soak. Do NOT turn it on. In the morning drain and replace the chickpeas in the slow cooker.
2) In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat
3) Add onion and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 5 more minutes.
4) Add the garlic and cook 5 more minutes
5) Scrape into the slow cooker
6) Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well.
7) Cook on low 8 to 9 hours. Serve with Basmati rice.
