| Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 25 mins – 30 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 400 | 20g | 10g | 40g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 5g | 6g | 10g | 0.5g |
Why I Love Indian Spinach Chickpea Masala
I’m always keen on expanding my culinary comfort zone and exploring the diverse palette of world cuisines. In the spirit of this, allow me to introduce an Indian recipe that has immensely sparked my enthusiasm – the Spinach Chickpea Masala. This dish embodies a medley of robust and comforting flavors that creates an enchanting fusion where East meets my southern roots.
Decoding the Flavors
What strikes me about the Spinach Chickpea Masala is its brilliant harmony of ingredients. With its earthy chickpeas cooked in an aromatic gravy that’s heady with spices such as ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala, it’s sheer poetry in a pot. The addition of fresh spinach bestows a lovely colour, while the coconut milk lends a creamy texture.
You’d do well to appreciate the apparent parallel of this dish with traditional southern entrées like collard greens, where a similar leafy component melds with a flavorful broth. I can’t help but consider this recipe as an homage to global comfort foods, where diverse regional ingredients meet on a shared platform of heartwarming goodness.
My Portal of Culinary Inspiration
Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places and for this dish, I found mine in the recipe repertoire of renowned Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor. His instinctive understanding of spices coupled with a knack for elevating home-style meals into restaurant-worthy creations encouraged me to push my boundaries and give this dish my own spin.
If you’re seeking an ideal accompaniment to this dish, I’d suggest a bowl of hot, fluffy Basmati rice. It’s the traditional partner for the Chickpea Spinach Masala, ideally suited to soak up all its intricate flavors and give you a truly well-rounded meal experience.
So, if you’re game to set sail on a fascinating culinary journey straight to the heart of India, this Spinach Chickpea Masala recipe is your passport. It’s a celebration of flavors that resonate on the international stage while being thoroughly comforting and satisfying – just like how we like our meals down South.
What You’ll Need
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound fresh spinach, washed and chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Cooked Basmati rice, for serving
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Method
Step One
Start by heating the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent.
Step Two
Next, add the minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, and finely chopped jalapeno pepper to the pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the garlic and ginger become fragrant.
Step Three
Add the ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground coriander, and garam masala to the pan, stirring well to combine with the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for another minute.
Step Four
Pour in the diced tomatoes, including the juice from the can. Stir and let the mixture simmer for around 10 minutes. The tomatoes should break down and combine with the spices to create a thick sauce.
Step Five
Add the drained chickpeas to the pan. Stir well to coat the chickpeas in the sauce. Let this simmer for another 10 minutes.
Step Six
While the chickpeas are cooking, wash and chop the fresh spinach. Once the chickpeas have simmered, add the spinach to the pan in batches, waiting for each batch to wilt down before adding the next.
Step Seven
Once all the spinach has been added and wilted, pour in the coconut milk and stir well. Season with salt to taste, then reduce the heat and let the curry simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Eight
Serve the Spinach Chickpea Masala over cooked Basmati rice, garnishing each dish with fresh cilantro.
