Chickpea Curry

This incredibly dish is from Cassia, an Asian-inspired restaurant in Los Angeles, the recipe for which thankfully this site was able to obtain. It is not very difficult to prepare, and if you're willing to use dried chickpeas and soak them overnight, it definitely improves the quality of the final dish. Kaffir lime leaves are essential to creating the unique flavor, and be sure not to forget the final cilantro and squirt of lime.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped ginger
• 4 fresno chiles (or red jalapeños or seranos), de-seeded and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons madras curry powder
• 3 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, optional
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised with the back of a knife
• 3 19-ounce cans coconut milk
• ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt + more as needed
• Cilantro sprigs, to garnish

Instructions

1. In a blender, purée onion, ginger, chiles, curry powder, sugar and garlic until a paste forms.
2. Heat a dutch oven or sauté pan over a low flame.
3. Add oil and onion paste and fry 15 minutes, or until it becomes a darker color, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.
4. Add tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes.
5. Add coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and salt, and stir to incorporate.
6. Add soaked chickpeas and ½ cup water.
7. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer on low until chickpeas are soft (approximately 2 hours).
8. While the curry simmers, stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning, and add water as needed to ensure the dish doesn’t dry out.
9. The curry is done when the sauce coats a spoon and the chickpeas are soft and cooked through.
10. Taste and adjust with more salt or sugar as needed, and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Serves 4-6.