Creamy chickpeas, rich buttery texture, warm Indian spices -- you'll want to keep this recipe handy!
This flavor-packed dish was a revelation. I expected a moderately good side dish. What I found instead was a mélange of buttery, creamy chickpeas, tangy pickled veggies with a sharp bite, and all those warm, savory spices. Given the chance, I would eat this every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Yes, it’s that good.
The recipe comes from Christopher Kimball, former host of TV cooking show America’s Test Kitchen, who has a new show and a cookbook to match, titled Milk Street: The New Rules.
Milk Street: The New Rules - recommended!
Both this show and the previous iteration (which still runs on PBS with fabulous female co-hosts) take a classic dish or type of cuisine and break it down into parts – cooking techniques, times, ingredients – to discover how to achieve peak results.
The only downside is that their online recipes are subscription-only so …
A) I recommend getting the cookbook, and
B) I will offer general information in the text and photo captions below.
The only downside is that their online recipes are subscription-only so …
A) I recommend getting the cookbook, and
B) I will offer general information in the text and photo captions below.
The main lessons learned: Cook the spices and aromatics in fat first, then add everything else. Some recipes have you add spices at the end, but early incorporation means the flavors will infuse the entirety of the dish.
Also a quick pickle added at the end wakes the dish up with a bright blast of acid. And when I say pickle it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Here it is nothing more than red onion, jalapeno, and ginger diced fine and doused in lemon juice. Make it first, then set it aside.
Also a quick pickle added at the end wakes the dish up with a bright blast of acid. And when I say pickle it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Here it is nothing more than red onion, jalapeno, and ginger diced fine and doused in lemon juice. Make it first, then set it aside.
This is kind of cool -- instead of chopping, you shred the onions and tomatoes before cooking them with the spices in butter. The picture to the far right shows the consistency of the mix when it's ready for the remaining ingredients to be added.
Some of the pickled onions and jalapeno get added to the chickpea mix while cooking and the rest garnish the top just before serving. Twice the flavor!
Today's Coronavirus song of the day asks the question many of us face now that some states, cities, and communities are re-opening their economies and relaxing stay-at-home guidelines. For me, the answer is clear - so keep up the good work, follow the safety protocols, and save lives!
Jazz with dinner sounds delightful, does it not? This album pairs pianist extraordinaire Chick Corea with Gary Burton who rocks the vibraphone like nobody's business. Please enjoy.
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