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Autumn/Winter, Batch Cooking, Can Be Made in Advance, Cooking for the Troops, Family Classics, Gluten Free, Hands-Off, One-pot Recipes, Quick & Easy, Recipe, Simple Supper, Stew, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy

Alison Roman’s chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric

A delicious vegan stew from Alison Roman (tasting considerably better than it looks in my photograph!). "Spiced chickpeas are crisped in olive oil, then simmered in a garlicky coconut milk for an insanely creamy, basically-good-for-you stew that evokes South Indian chana and some stews found in parts of the Caribbean. While the chickpeas would be good as a side dish, they are further simmered with stock, bolstered with dark, leafy greens of your choosing and finished with a handful of fresh mint. When shopping, be sure to avoid low-fat coconut milk, coconut milk meant for drinking or cream of coconut."

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

  • SERVES 4
  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 teaspoon ground turmeric, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
  • yogurt, for serving (optional)
  • toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

Method

one. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

two. Add turmeric, red-pepper flakes and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.

three. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides (this will help thicken the stew). Add coconut milk and stock to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened and flavors have started to come together, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to taste as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency.

four. Add greens (I use spinach) and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook a few minutes so they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestion. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

Possible Amendment. If cooking ahead, I add the spinach or vegetables when I'm re-heating.