Braised Indian Chickpea Stew
User Reviews
5
264 reviews
Excellent
Braised Indian Chickpea Stew
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This Braised Indian Chickpea Stew blends chickpeas with a mix of vegetables including carrots, cabbage, and aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. The stew cooks slowly with coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste, developing a rich and mildly spiced flavor that balances sweetness from golden raisins and heat from chili powder. The texture is hearty with tender vegetables and softened chickpeas, making it a satisfying vegetarian dish.
Description
The Braised Indian Chickpea Stew incorporates dry spices such as cardamom pods, cloves, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds, roughly ground to retain texture, then sautéed with cinnamon sticks to release their fragrance. Vegetables including onion, carrot, cabbage, garlic, and fresh ginger are softened in oil before adding tomato paste, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth, white wine, and coconut milk. This mixture simmers gently, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables and chickpeas to become tender.
The stew offers an interplay of mild heat from red chili powder, warmth from turmeric and nutmeg, and a hint of sweetness from golden raisins. The addition of garam masala and fresh cilantro at the end brightens the dish. It pairs well with rice, Indian flatbreads, or a dollop of coconut yogurt to temper the spice.
Adjusting chili powder levels affects heat intensity, and the use of vegan-friendly white wine enhances acidity. The recipe avoids excessive blending, maintaining texture and complex layering of flavors.
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 onion chopped, large, yellow
- 4 carrot sliced on the bias, medium
- ½ cabbage roughly chopped (16-18 ounces or 450-510g, medium
- 4 garlic thinly sliced, cloves
- 2- inch (5 cm) ginger grated or minced, fresh piece
- kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper
- black pepper freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons red chili powder Indian variety
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup dry white wine 180 mL
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth plus a little more as needed, 360 mL
- 2 (15-ounce/425g) chickpeas drained and rinsed, canned
- 2 bay leaf
- 1/3 cup golden raisins sultanas, 55g
- 1 (14.5-ounce/410g) diced tomatoes canned
- 1 cup coconut milk stirred well, full-fat, canned, 240 mL
Whole Spices
- 6 cardamom pods whole, green
- 4 clove whole
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cinnamon stick 2-3 inches long
For finishing
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ cup cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish, leaves, 9g
- lemon juice (a few squeezes)
- 1-2 teaspoons organic cane sugar as needed
For serving
- coconut yogurt or other vegan yogurt
- white rice or brown rice; or Indian flatbread such as naan or roti
Instructions
- Roughly grind the whole spices. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds (not the cinnamon sticks) to a spice grinder or mortar or pestle. Coarsely grind (just a few pulses with an electric grinder) - you want some texture to remain. Remove the empty cardamom pod shells. Note: If you don’t have either of these tools, see the blog post section “Frequently Asked Questions“
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Heat a Dutch oven or stove-to-oven braising pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the roughly ground spices *and* the cinnamon sticks. Sauté for 60 seconds or until very fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Next, add the onions, carrots, and cabbage. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir frequently for 2 minutes to coat everything. If things start to dry out or seem like they might burn, add a splash or two of water and scrape up the browned bits. Add in the Indian red chili powder, turmeric, and nutmeg, and stir frequently for 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits and fond from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is mostly evaporated and the smell of alcohol has dissipated, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, chickpeas, bay leaves, raisins, tomatoes, and 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stir again, and then turn off the heat.
- Put the lid on the pan, or if it doesn’t have a lid, cover tightly with foil. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and braise for 1 hour, until the chickpeas and vegetables are soft.At the halfway mark, check to see if the liquid has evaporated somewhat. If so, add additional vegetable broth or water (about 1/4 cup).
- Pour in the coconut milk and return the pan to the oven to braise for another 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks.
- Stir in the garam masala, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as needed. If it's slightly too acidic, stir in a teaspoon or two of sugar.
- Serve warm with Indian flatbread or over a bed of rice. Dollop on some vegan yogurt before serving or serve on the side.
Notes
- Slice vegetables to moderate thickness for best texture.
- Adjust red chili powder according to your preferred heat level; pairing with yogurt can balance spiciness.
- Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc; verify it is vegan-friendly.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
414kcal
(21%)
Carbohydrates
50g
(17%)
Protein
12g
(24%)
Fat
19g
(29%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
7g
(41%)
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Sodium
884mg
(37%)
Potassium
992mg
(21%)
Fiber
13g
(52%)
Sugar
15g
(30%)
Vitamin A
7576IU
(152%)
Vitamin C
43mg
(48%)
Calcium
174mg
(17%)
Iron
6mg
(33%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6with rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 414 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 414kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 50g | 17% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Sodium | 884mg | 37% |
| Potassium | 992mg | 21% |
| Fiber | 13g | 52% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin A | 7576IU | 152% |
| Vitamin C | 43mg | 48% |
| Calcium | 174mg | 17% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
264 reviews
Excellent
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