Chickpeas of Glory
what can't spices, pasta, and beans do??
First, I am in love with this dish. It’s like pasta e ceci, creamy mac and cheese, and chana masala had a baby. Yeah, you read that right. I was giving off some real mad scientist vibes the night I dreamed this up. It calls for fenugreek, which reader
was just reminding me last week would be a great edition to my garden this year in the comments. Fresh fenugreek is amazing but can be a little bitter if you aren’t ready for it but ground fenugreek is made from the seeds and almost has a maple syrup quality to it on top of is herbaceous taste. It adds a depth to this recipe and really rounds out the flavor but if that’s the ingredient that’s stopping you from making this, just sub in ½ teaspoon of ground coriander or more cumin instead. No excuses, ok?
Secondly, it’s dead easy. You make it all in one pot and it truly takes less than 40 minutes even if you’re terrible at chopping things. I served it up with a side of braised greens from Hungry as Hell but it would also be great served with a simple slaw or a side of roasted broccoli. This makes a big pot, so leftovers are basically guaranteed. If you’d rather have this be more of a soup, just add another cup or two of broth and adjust the spices to your taste. There’s no way you are going to mess this up, I promise.
Additionally, I did a lil test run of a new feature I want to offer you guys in the general yesterday: audio recipes! The idea is we cook everything together in real time and I chitchat with you about what you are seeing, why we are doing stuff, and what to look for to make each meal a success. I also may dropping some fun food history all while we cook. Who knows what I’ll say? Not me. But I thought this would be helpful that way you’ll get a lot more tips and tricks than I could ever include in a written recipe, and you don’t have a video to distract you from your own pot. I’d like to offer this at least twice a month to start if you guys are into it. Let me know what you think in the comments! Lastly, if you made the enchilada beans from last week and ended up with leftovers, they make killer refried beans. Just puree whatever you have left, add a little broth and some cumin, and warm those fuckers up. You will be delighted. I know I was.
Pasta e Ceci with a Tomato Coconut Gravy
Makes enough for 4-6 people
active cooking time: 20 minutes
total cooking time 30 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger, about a thumb-sized piece
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek*
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
One 15 ounce can of full fat coconut milk
4 cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave
One-pound tubettini or similar style small pasta, uncooked
½ cup minced chives or green onions
2 tablespoons lime juice
Garnishes: sliced cherry tomatoes, more chives, cilantro, pickled red onions
In a large pot, warm up the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the white onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion softens and looks translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, just enough for them to start being fragrant. Add the cumin, fenugreek, paprika, turmeric, and black pepper and sauté so that everything is nice and coated. Add the tomato paste and try to break it up as best you can so you don’t just have a giant blob in the pan. Pour in the coconut milk, stir, then add the vegetable broth, salt, and maple syrup. Make sure you scrap up any of the burnt bits on the bottom of the pan.
Now add the chickpeas and stir them around so that they get coated in the gravy. Here I like to take my immersion blender right into the pot and pulse it to chop up about half of the chickpeas. Totally optional but I think the resulting texture is great.
Once the chickpeas are however you want them, let the pot come to a gentle simmer then add the uncooked pasta. Let this gently simmer, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on your pasta shape. The broth will reduce as you cook the pasta and the resulting sauce will be extra silky and THICK thanks to all the starch that’s released. If you want a texture that’s closer to a soup, add an extra cup or more of broth. Once the pasta is tender, turn off the heat and fold in the chives and lime juice. Taste and add more spice, salt, or whatever you think it needs.
Serve right away. I like to top this with some sliced tomatoes and more chives but it is perfect as is for a simple silky bowl of pasta and protein.
*No fenugreek? No problem. Add ½ teaspoon of ground coriander or more cumin in its place.
Thanks again for joining me here at Stir the Pot. Soon we will be moving on from our focus on one pot meals and casseroles to more springtime recipes. Is there something you’d love to see here like more BBQ recipes, stuff for lunches, freezer-friendly foods? Let me know in the comments. I’m here to help!
Xoxo,
Michelle
I love audio everything. I’m doing this. In the recipe I see 3c chickpeas or “1 can.” Usually 1 can is 1.5 cups. Should this be 2 cans? Thanks
Michelle - love the idea of the audio cooking! I always want to know the WHY behind cooking.