Chickpea Kurma
A seriously tasty South Indian Chickpea Kurma. The combination of gentle spices, cooked in a tomato and almond based sauce, makes this kurma a favourite of even meat lovers.
LENT is the time of the year that calls for tantalising vegetarian and fish dishes. This is a quick, no blend, fragrant and flavourful ‘Chickpea Kurma’ recipe that the family will love. It is an addictive, guilt-free vegetarian chickpea curry, and is a must addition to your diet!
Australians are consuming more spices than they ever have before. This is probably due to the sudden influx of Indian restaurants and pop-ups opening at a rapidly increasing rate. Furthermore, they are also keen to try out some vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries and dishes in the comfort of their own home. The lock downs and the pandemic have made it comfortably possible to do so. Many Australians prefer to cook simple, authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries with pantry staples. This ‘Chickpea Kurma’ is easy to prepare at home and makes an economical and nourishing meal with either steamed rice or any Indian breads. This kurma, among the many vegetarian options, is my family’s most favourite vegetarian curry/dish during the Lenten season.
WHAT IS KURMA?
What ‘Korma‘ is to the North Indians, it is ‘Kurma‘ to the South Indians. While nuts and cream form the base of a North Indian Korma, coconut milk and yogurt forms the base of a South Indian Kurma.
Kurma is a nut based flavoursome Indian Curry with many spices (all of which are staples in an Indian pantry) and a garnish of some type of herb, usually coriander leaves.
Most Kurma curries are prepared with a blended mixture of spices and nuts however, I have kept this preparation simple by using only whole spices and ground spice powders. This curry can even be prepared on a weeknight as most of the preparation is done once you have chopped your vegetables and herbs. You do not need a blender to prepare this Kurma.
In this kurma, the base is prepared with a combination of whole spices and readily available spice powders, most of which can be purchased in your Coles Supermarket or your local Indian grocery store. The spices are added in succession and the flavours are built layer, by layer, by layer. The addition of tomatoes and almond meal gives the thickness to this curry/dish which is then finished off by adding water or cream (the choice is yours). The curry can be made as thick or thin as you prefer, bearing in mind that this curry/dish thickens during cooling. I like my Kurma curry thick, as it makes it easy to mop it off with any Indian bread or neer dosa (pan polay). It also makes a terrific rice topper.
This recipe makes four brunch servings or two to three main servings. Serve with any Indian breads or neer dosa (panpolay). Also delicious served on a bed of hot steamed rice. I am drooling!!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Gather your ingredients ready to go!!
Main ingredient – Canned chickpeas
The whole spices – black mustard seeds and cumin seeds
The vegetables – onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and coriander leaves
The ground spices – Coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder
Other ingredients – Oil/ghee, asafoetida, almond meal, salt or vegetable stock cube
400g canned chickpeas – drained weight 240g
Use your favourite brand of chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas in a colander. If they are slimy, rinse them well under cold running water
In a heavy based saucepan heat oil on medium. Add asafoetida and when it sizzles, add black mustard seeds and let them pop
Add cumin seeds and brown for two seconds
Add onions and green chillies and saute them for 7 minutes or until onions turn golden but not crispy
Add ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp. water if the mixture sticks to the saucepan
Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 7 minutes or until they turn into pulp
Tomatoes cooked to a near pulp
Add 250mL water and stir to combine. Add spice powders – coriander, cumin, chilli, turmeric and garam masala. Stir to combine. Add almond meal and salt or vegetable stock cube. Simmer for a minute or two.
Add the drained chickpeas and stir well to combine. Add just enough water to make a thick gravy, as we do not want a runny curry. Season to taste. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves
Serve hot with naan, poori, paratha, kulcha or parotta. This Kurma also pairs well with hot steamed rice and panpolay (neer dosa)
In this recipe, for a tastier variation, I have added 150mL – 175mL Nestle light cooking cream in Step 4, after I added the chickpeas (SEE NOTES 2 BELOW). The cream along with almond meal, gives the curry a rich taste and texture. If you are not a fan of cream, please use water in place of cream.
I hope you enjoy making this Chickpea Kurma and I also hope that your family will love it each time you make it!
Chickpea Kurma
Ingredients
- 400 g canned chickpeas drained and rinsed (drained weight 240g)
- 4 tbsp. oil or ghee clarified butter
- Pinch of asafoetida
- ½ tsp. black mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped approx. 200g
- 4 green chillies chopped or to taste
- 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
- 2 tsp. garlic finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped approx. 250g
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. Kashmiri chilli powder or to taste
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- ½ tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 – 2 tbsp. almond meal approx. 12g-15g
- ½ tsp. salt or 1 vegetable stock cube or to taste
- 3 tbsp. coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan on medium, add asafoetida and when it sizzles, add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add the cumin seeds and brown for 2 seconds. Do not burn.
- Add onions, green chillies and sauté them for 7 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp. of water, if the mixture sticks to the pan.
- Add the tomatoes and fry for 7 minutes or until tomatoes turn into near pulp.
- Add 250mL water and stir to combine. Add the powders - coriander, cumin, chilli, turmeric, garam masala, almond meal and salt or vegetable stock cube. Stir well till combined and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the drained chickpeas, mix well and bring to the boil. If you like the curry to be slightly runny, adjust the consistency of the curry by adding a little extra water (Note 1). Season to taste if required and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with naan, parathas, kulcha, panpolay or poories. This kurma also tastes great with hot steamed rice.
Notes
- For a tastier variation add 150mL - 175mL of cooking cream in step 4, after adding the chickpeas. I added Nestle Carnation Lite Cooking Cream and the gravy turned out rich with a thick texture.
Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!
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