This one-pot stew is my go-to dinner whenever someone in the family starts to feel under the weather. It’s warming, mildly spicy, and comforting, with a depth of flavor that tastes like it simmered all day, yet it comes together in just over half an hour. The secret is pulsing the aromatics—red onion, garlic, jalapeño and ginger—into a coarse paste in a food processor. That quick-cooking paste forms a powerful base for the stew. From there, garam masala (or curry powder), cumin and coriander are added, followed by canned tomatoes, chickpeas and collard greens. I love collards in soups and stews, but you can substitute spinach or Swiss chard if you prefer. To finish, garnish each bowl with a spoonful of mango chutney and a dollop of yogurt—these two elements balance the dish. The chutney brings a gentle sweetness that tames the spices, while the yogurt cools everything to the perfect level.
This season Ella had a cold and I dealt with a short bout of the flu, but having this stew in my repertoire makes me feel ready to fight off whatever comes our way—plus it tastes like comfort in a bowl.
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Indian Spiced Chickpea Stew
Nicki Sizemore
4
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon garam masala (curry powder works, too)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chickpeas (about 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups thinly sliced collard greens, stems removed
- ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus extra leaves for serving
- Yogurt for serving
- Mango chutney
- Cooked basmati rice for serving
Instructions
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In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, jalapeño and ginger. Pulse until they form a coarse paste, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Heat the grapeseed oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the aromatic paste with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are light golden and tender, about 5–8 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, cumin and coriander and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, 2 cups of water, the chickpeas and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook about 10 minutes, until the mixture has slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
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Add the collard greens and cook another 3–5 minutes, until they are tender. Stir in the chopped cilantro and taste, adding more salt if needed. If the stew tastes a bit bitter (especially if you used curry powder), a small pinch of sugar can help round the flavors. Do ahead: the stew can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature; reheat gently before serving. It’s best the day it’s made but also makes a tasty lunch the next day.
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Serve the stew over basmati rice with a spoonful of mango chutney, a dollop of yogurt and a few cilantro leaves on top.
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