Everywhere a Curry!

A new leaf: Black chickpea stew
Monday, May 5, 2008
Last updated: Monday May 5, 2008, EDT 8:40 AM
Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"660 Curries," by Raghavan Iyer (Workman Publishing, 2008)

Curry is a catchall for spicy deliciousness, says Raghavan Iyer, and vegetarians who love Indian food heartily agree. The 362 pages of this hefty 800-page collection are dedicated to paneer, legume and vegetable recipes — and that's before you count the vegetarian selections among the contemporary and biryani curries. Iyer scoured the subcontinent for a wide range of curries and includes interesting trivia. The chickpea, featured in a pressure-cooker recipe below, is especially valued in Kajasthani and Parsi curries.

— Evelyn Shih

Black chickpea stew

1 cup dried black chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium-size red onion, finely chopped
2 fresh green chilies, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise. Seeds preserved.
1 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 to 4 dried red chilies, stems removed
1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
12 to 15 fresh curry leaves
Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms. Seal the cooker shut and allow the pressure to build. When the cooker reaches full pressure, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and allow the pressure to subside naturally before opening.

While the chickpeas cook, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fresh chilies. Stir-fry slowly until the onion is brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour 1 1/2 cups water into a blender jar with coconut, coriander seeds, and dried chilies. Purée to make a slightly gritty, thick paste. Add this paste to the onion. Wash out the blender with 1 1/2 cups water, then add the water to the pan. Add the tomato, salt and curry leaves.

Drain the cooked chickpeas, and stir them into the mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Keep warm until served.

Servings: 6.

Per serving: 232 calories, 11 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 27 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 496 milligrams sodium, 8 grams fiber.