Chickpea curry is not new to this blog, I will say right away. I have made a chickpea curry before, a more elaborate one that the Straits Times picked up on. This recipe is a slight variation from the one – its extremely easy to make and will be ready in 15 mins.
The difference with this recipe is that I cut out many ingredients, and kept the bare essentials. I found that this makes a delicious curry nonetheless – the secret ingredient here is the tamarind paste that gives it all the flavour. Tamarind paste is extremely sour and deep and helps to offset the mellow sweetness of the coconut milk here.
If you can’t get your hands on Tamarind Paste (as it’s usually available at Mustafa, and we don’t always go there!), you can get tamarind pulp from the supermarket, and dissolve an amount the size of a large lime into the 100 ml of water, then strain it to remove the seeds and fibre. Then, add the tamarind water to the curry before the coconut milk.
Chickpeas, especially canned ones, seem to have a distinct bite about them. The tamarind paste helps with that too! Chickpeas serve as the protein component in this recipe, but I do understand that not everyone likes them. Also, this is a vegan curry still. If you’re looking for a meat alternative, simply substitute the chickpeas with chicken – everything else can remain the same.
The coconut milk cannot be compromised, I am afraid. It’s what makes this a deliciously rich and creamy curry.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2cm Ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
- 2 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp Curry Powder (Fish or Meat is fine)
- 1 Can Chickpeas
- 200 ml Coconut Milk
- 100ml Water
- 2 Eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved
Method
- In a large pan over medium heat, heat up the oil and the mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds start popping, add the onions and a touch of salt. Saute until the onions turn soft and translucent (about 3 mins).
- Add the ginger and garlic, followed by the tamarind paste, curry powder and chickpeas. Mix will to combine over the heat - the mixture will look like a fiery red mess. Calm this madness by pouring the coconut milk and water over it, and stirring through. Let the mixture come to a light simmer, then add the eggs and stir through.
- You're done! Serve warm with rice.
