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Indonesian Chickpea Curry

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Indonesian Chickpea Curry

Indonesian Chickpea Curry reflects the unpretentious warmth of Indonesian home cooking. It's a dish that finds its way to family tables across the country, cooked with a certain instinctiveness that comes from years of practice. The ingredients are simple, yet the flavors are anything but. This curry is often enjoyed as a comforting meal on a weekday evening, a reliable staple that brings everyone to the table.

The curry is a delightful blend of tender chickpeas, softened onions, and juicy tomatoes, all brought together by the aromatic warmth of cumin. The chickpeas take center stage, their creaminess perfectly balanced by the subtle acidity of the tomatoes. Generously seasoned and cooked with a liberal hand, this curry is best served hot, inviting everyone to share in its hearty goodness.

Ingredients

  • 400 gchickpeas — cooked
  • 1onion
  • 2tomatoes
  • 2 tbspoil
  • 1 tspcumin
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Start by finely chopping 1 onion and dicing 2 tomatoes. Rinse 400 g of chickpeas under cold water if using canned, or have them cooked and ready if using dried. This preparation ensures that all ingredients are ready to be added in sequence without delay.
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and soft, releasing its sweet aroma, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add 1 tsp of cumin to the softened onions. Stir continuously for about 1 minute until the cumin becomes fragrant, infusing the oil and onions with its earthy scent. This step is crucial for building the curry's depth of flavor.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir them into the onion and cumin mixture, allowing them to cook down until they start to break apart and form a thick, rich sauce. This should take about 5-10 minutes, and you'll notice the oil beginning to separate from the tomato mixture, indicating it's ready for the next step.
  5. Stir in the prepared chickpeas, ensuring they are well coated with the tomato-onion mixture. Reduce the heat to low and let the curry simmer gently. Stir occasionally, allowing the flavors to meld and the chickpeas to absorb the sauce, until the chickpeas are tender and the curry has thickened to your liking.
  6. Taste the curry and season with fine sea salt and black pepper to your preference. Adjust gradually, tasting as you go, to ensure the seasoning enhances the natural flavors without overpowering them.
  7. Once the seasoning is balanced, remove the pot from the heat. Serve the Indonesian Chickpea Curry hot, ideally with steamed rice or flatbread, allowing everyone at the table to share and enjoy the meal together.
Cover of Authentic Indonesian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Indonesian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Indonesian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Indonesian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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