3 tablespoons (45 grams) neutral oil, butter, or ghee
1 large yellow onion, minced
2-inch piece ginger, peeled, and minced or grated
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne or mild chili powder
2 tablespoons (35 grams) tomato paste
One 14.5-ounce can (410 grams) diced or crushed tomatoes, or 1-3/4 cups small-diced fresh tomatoes
3-1/2 cups (two 15.5-ounce or 440-gram cans) cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed (see note)
2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 grams) heavy cream
Handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
rice for serving
I grew up in an area of New Jersey with a large South Asian population.
Though I know my affinities for cumin, coriander, turmeric, and gin-
ger were planted by the incredible aromas at friends' houses while their
moms cooked dinner—and the rotis puffing on the stove we'd ooh and
aah over—I didn't have the confidence to try my favorite dishes at home
until well into my twenties. Conveniently or coincidentally, I worked
two blocks from Kalustyan's, a spice-and-specialty wonderland, mak-
ing it easy to stock up. I have hardly wanted to stop for one minute since.
This is a dish I'd been craving for years but I couldn't find the exact rec-
ipe I was looking for. So I took parts of a few of my favorites—a chicken
curry from Chetna Makan; a chana masala from Madhur Jaffrey; and
dal makhani, a black-lentil-and-red-kidney-bean curry enriched with
butter and cream—and adjusted everything to get to what I'd envi-
sioned, which is a more tomato-forward and lightly creamy take on
makhani chole (butter chickpeas). The result is so warming, spiced, and
lush, I had to stop writing this headnote midway to add ingredients for
this to my grocery list, because thinking about it again made me crave
it so much. I hope it has this kind of effect on you, too.
In a medium-large (3-quart) heavy pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-
high heat. Once it's hot, add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until
the onion is browned at the edges. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook
for 1 minute more. Add 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, turmeric, garam masala,
coriander, and cayenne, to taste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato
paste, and cook until it is one shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, stirring up any stuck bits, season with another 1-1/2 teaspoons
salt, and bring to a simmer, stirring. Cook the tomatoes until they begin
to break down and look saucy, mashing them a bit with your spoon if
needed, which takes between 4 and 8 minutes. (Fresh tomatoes cook
down faster.) Add 1-1/4 cups water, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to
the lowest simmer. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes; then add chickpeas,
and cook for another 10 minutes, until they have slightly softened
If the chickpea mixture looks dry or thick, add more water to loosen. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove from the heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons cream. Gaze at the color and ask yourself if you're in more of a red, orange, or pink mood today. If the last, add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream. Finish with herbs, if using, and serve with rice.
Notes:
I sometimes add some toasted paneer or halloumi cubes here as luxurious croutons. Cut an 8-ounce package of paneer or halloumi into 1-inch pieces. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of a neutral oil over medium heat. Cook the cheese until it's golden underneath, then flip and lightly brown on the second side. Add to the pot of chickpeas—the warmth will keep them soft— right before serving.
The biggest debate in my household over this dish is whether it should be entirely chickpeas (my favorite) or one part chickpeas and one part cauliflower (my husband's). Both are excellent. If you'd like to add cauliflower, reduce the chickpeas to one can, the water to 1 cup; then add 3 cups cauliflower chopped into 1/2 -to-1-inch pieces (about 1 pound total, from half a large head). Add the cauliflower when you add the water, and give it 10 minutes to begin softening before adding the chickpeas. The dish is done when the cauliflower is at your desired level of tenderness.