Another Vegan Chickpea Curry

It’s that time again. Exams. That period of time when I forget to eat. Or maybe I forget to cook. I’m not really sure. What’s worse is that my birthday is always right around the beginning of exams. I’m one of those people who like to celebrate their birthday on the day of. Since it’s during exams, I have a little dinner with my friends at a restaurant or pub every year, followed by a little dessert. I just finished baking a batch of lemon cupcakes. Yes, sadly, I have to make my own birthday treat this year.

I know I already posted a chickpea curry a couple of months ago. That one had a veggie broth base with coconut milk. This one here has a tomato paste base, similar to a chana masala. You would usually find recipes for chana masala with actual tomatoes. Since my belly monsters were getting bored, they decided to start rejecting tomatoes, in addition to all the usuals. For some reason, I can still digest tomato paste. So while this won’t be your authentic chana masala, it’s still quite tasty.

This is one of those meals you can make out of your pantry, unless you add cilantro. The cilantro is optional, but if you like its taste, I do recommend adding it. It really adds *something* to the curry.

Another Vegan Chickpea Curry

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger paste – you can find this in a jar in the spice section of grocery stores (or blend ginger with a bit of oil)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups water
About 1 small can tomato paste (or less)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or about 3 1/2 – 4 cups cooked chickpeas
Salt to taste
1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions
Heat oil on medium heat. When it’s hot, add cumin and toss around for about a minute to make it fragrant. Add garlic and ginger paste and toss around for another minute. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add water, tomato paste, lemon juice, turmeric, and garam masala. When it’s well mixed, add the chickpeas. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low. Simmer until the chickpeas are cooked to your liking. I like mine soft, so it takes about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and chop the cilantro. When the chickpeas are cooked to your liking, remove from heat. Add in the cilantro and serve.