Curried chickpeas, or “cholay” as they're known, are such a delicious (but healthy) meal, especially for meatless Mondays. Our family has been trying to cut down our meat consumption for the last several months and instituting meatless Mondays. This dish is always a hit with the kids and with hubby and it's such a filling meal, especially when served with a salad or some roasted veggies. I also often make this as an accompaniment to my oven-baked salmon or even with a roasted chicken breast. Regardless of how you serve it, one thing is for sure. You'll need to make a lot because they disappear FAST.
All you need are pantry staples!
With the exception of canned tomatoes, I try really hard to avoid buying canned goods. Instead, I buy dry chickpeas from the local Mediterranean store and I cook them in my Instant Pot. Once they're cooked, I freeze them in portions so I can grab a bag and defrost it the night before I need to cook them. This curried chickpeas recipe really comes together fast and honestly, all you really need to make it shine is some diced tomatoes, a green chili or two, some fresh parsley, fresh squeeze of lemon and a whole bunch of spices you already have in your pantry. Want to know how to make this delectable meal? Keep scrolling down.
Pakistani-Style Curried Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ghee or oil
- 1 small Onion- thinly chopped
- 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1 whole Green chilli- minced
- 1 can Petit-diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Red chilli pwoder
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
- 1.5 tsp Chaat masala + more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 25 oz Cooked chickpeas or one large 19 oz canned chickpeas, drained
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice + more for garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped and divided
Instructions
- Heat the oil or ghee on the stovetop on medium heat until hot.
- Add the onions and cook until dark golden. Then add the ginger/garlic paste and the green chilies. Let cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the can of petite diced tomatoes and all the spices including salt and peper. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes start thickening a little bit.
- Add the chickpeas and mix well. The chickpeas should be completely mixed with the tomatoes with nothing sticking to the bottom. If the mixture seems a little dry, add about 1/8 cup of water. Add the lemon juice and half the parsley.
- Bring the whole mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to LOW and let the pot simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Keep stirring the pot at regularl intervals to make sure that they don't burn.
- In about 20-30 minutes, you'll notice that the chickpeas have softened and everything has mixed well together. Turn off the heat. Garnish with the remaining parsley, some fresh squeezed lemon juice and chaat masala. Enjoy and wonder where this has been all your life!
