Meatless Mondays: Chickpea Curry

Found in its original form here, the recipe harnesses all of the goodness of Indian spices, but manages to leave out all of the stress than can come with them. And it makes the vegetarian super-food, the chickpea, a star ingredient. (Fiber, antioxidants, blood sugar regulation--chickpeas have got it all.)

While the standard recipe simply has you crush peppercorns and coriander, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: dry roasting. My dad makes a lot of Indian-inspired curries, and taught me how to do this. It's super simple, and makes a big difference in the amount of flavor you get from your spices. Curious? Read on. And don't let the laundry list of ingredients scare you.

Ingredients

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• 1 clove of garlic
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• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
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• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
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• 2 tbs. oil
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• 1 tbs. curry powder
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• 2 cups + 1 tbsp. vegetable stock
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• 2 cups sliced potatoes
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• 2 cups sliced carrots
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• 2 cups cauliflower florets
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• 1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
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• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
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• 1 14 oz. can chickpeas
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• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
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• 1 tbsp. honey
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• 1/4 cup slivered basil leaves
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• chile paste to taste, optional.
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Directions

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• Heat a small frying pan on medium-high heat. Place peppercorns and coriander seeds in frying pan, and move pan continuously so the seeds do not burn. After a couple minutes, the seeds should begin to crack, pop, and become fragrant. When their color has darkened slightly, turn off the heat, and remove seeds from pan.
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• In a mortar, grind the garlic, peppercorns, and seeds into a paste.
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• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, and fry garlic mixture until fragrant. Add curry powder, and fry a little longer to release flavors
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• Add vegetable stock, potatoes, and carrots, and bring to a gentle simmer.
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• After about five minutes, add cauliflower, tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, soy sauce, and honey. Bring to a gentle simmer, and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has begun to thicken.
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• Taste for seasonings, and add additional soy sauce or honey as necessary. Feel free to throw in the hot chili paste if your curry isn't spicy enough. 
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• Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve over rice or alongside your bread (naan, anyone?) of choice.
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