Curried Chickpeas On Steamed Brown Rice

On my walk {part of the way} home from work both yesterday and the day before, I could smell dinner cooking in a few of the homes that I was passing. One of the smells that seemed to be constant was curry. Growing up, I was never a fan of curry, but as I got older my palette matured/changed. {Funny how my mum was always right about that happening!} I started to find a taste for curry {in small amounts}, among many other foods I never thought I’d like. {I used to hate garlic, but it is now a staple in so many things I make! I just love the smell/taste of fresh garlic, raw or cooked!} Last night, I actually craved curry! With my last curry adventure, I made curried chicken. I wasn’t quite in the mood for chicken, so I opted for some curried chickpeas, and paired the dish with some steamed brown rice. {Thanks to Joel & Adelaide for the rice and vegetable steamer! GREAT way to prepare food!} I’ve worked in some kitchen madness coming up with {what I find to be} the perfect combination of spices to make this dish super tasty without being too overwhelming to a person who may not be used to the taste of curry. I don’t like heavy sauces and dressings, and I’m not a fan of large amounts of curry all at once, so you’ll find this recipe to be quite light and tasty. Here’s my recipe for curried chickpeas!

This combination of spices can also be used for curried chicken, potatoes and carrots, or many other things. Enjoy! This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/2 red onion, finely diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
spices:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground corriander seed
dash nutmeg
dash ground cloves
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cellery salt
dash dry mustard powder
1 tbsp curry powder
dash red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

Combine all spices in a small bowl, and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and vinegar over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and onion, and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas, tomato and broth.
Add the bowl of spices.
Stir the contents of the pot until mixed together, and cook covered over medium heat for 15 minutes. (Stir every 5 minutes.)
Reduce Heat to low-medium, and simmer for 60 minutes. (Stir every 5-10 minutes.)
Remove from heat, and serve over steamed brown rice. (Or any type of rice you like!)
Note: The chickpeas keep VERY well in the fridge over night. To heat them up the next day {as I’ve done today for lunch }, simply warm them up in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Somehow, they taste even better the next day!