These days, nothing beats a long weekend filled with good food and good company. And the Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day provided the perfect excuse to indulge in some festive fare, including:
- XO scallop dumplings and seafood crispy noodles from Palette Tea Garden
- CNY treats from b. patisserie
- Inari sushi from YUBU by the Shota
- Banana cream pie from Black Jet Baking Company
But that’s not all. I also prepared Alison Roman’s famous spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric. After just one taste, I was kicking myself for not coming across the recipe sooner. (How did I miss it?)
Do be warned: “The stew” is quite rich, thanks to the addition of two cans each of chickpeas and full-fat coconut milk. For maximum enjoyment, serve it with steamed rice or Alexandra Stafford’s easy homemade pita bread to soak up the sauce.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times.
Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for finish
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2" piece fresh ginger, minced
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (see notes)
- 2 14 oz. cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound red chard, stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh mint
- Greek yogurt (for topping, optional)
- pita bread (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add turmeric and chili flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Then add chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer about 1 cup of the chickpea mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
- Lightly smash some of the chickpeas in the pot with the back of a wooden spoon to release their starch. Add coconut milk and chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and stew reaches desired consistency. (This can take 30-45 minutes.)
- Add chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide stew among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with mint, reserved chickpea mixture and Greek yogurt, if using. Serve with pita bread.
Notes
For a smoother stew, remove the chickpeas skins. It doesn't take long and is worth the effort, in my opinion.
