Chickpea Curry in Olive Oil

Chickpeas lend themselves generously to experimentation. The classic channa masala with its onion-garlic base is by no means the only way to cook this legume curry-style. Chickpeas CAN be curried without a shred of onion and garlic – check out these recipes from the blog archives, for example: aloo chhole, dahi chhole.

And now, let me add yet another no-onion-no-garlic chickpea recipe to your repertoire.

This curry gets its flavors from tomato sauce, olive oil and Italian seasoning. Pair it with buttered garlic toast or some warm Indian flatbread (I recommend this seed-studded elliptical beauty) for a satisfying meal.

You Need:

To pressure-cook together:

• Dried white chickpeas – 1 cup [buy here]
• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
• Water – 3 cups

To grind together:

• Tomatoes – 3 medium
• Ginger – 1-inch stick
• Green chili – 1-2 (optional)

For the sauce:

• Paprika powder – 1/2 teaspoon [buy here]
• Oregano – 1/2 teaspoon [buy here]
• Salt – to taste
• Extra-virgin olive oil – 1.5 tablespoons [buy here]
• Sliced olives – a teaspoon, for garnishing [buy here]

Equipment:

• pressure cooker, grinder, lidded pan

The links above are amazon.com affiliate links. The Steaming Pot will earn a small commission if you buy via the links, at no additional cost to you.

In the picture above (clockwise from left): chickpeas; evoo; sliced olives; paprika powder, oregano; tomatoes, green chilies, ginger.

How To Make Chickpea Curry in Olive Oil:

1. Soak and boil

Wash and place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Pour water for soaking the chickpeas till the level of water is over twice the height of the chickpeas.

Set the bowl aside for 8 hours or overnight.

The chickpeas will absorb the water, soften and swell. Drain the excess water (tip: don’t throw this water away! give it to your plants) and rinse the chickpeas. They are now ready to pressure cook.

Transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker. Top with 3 cups of water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid and cook till the chickpeas are soft to bite. If using an Indian style pressure cooker, cook on high heat till you hear the first whistle, then set heat to low and cook for another 15 mins. Let the pressure release naturally.

2. Grind

De-eye the tomatoes, core them if hard in the center. Skin the ginger. Cut the top off the chilies; deseed the chilies if you like the sauce mildly hot, else let the seeds remain for more heat.

Place the tomatoes, ginger and chilies in the grinder.

Puree.

3. Make the sauce

Heat a thick-bottomed pan. Add to the pan a tablespoon of olive oil along with the tomato puree.

Simmer with lid on for 15 minutes, shaking the pan every 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of chickpea water if the sauce starts drying up.

Add salt to taste and paprika powder to the sauce.

Mix in and tip in the chickpeas along with the water they were boiled in.

Continue to cook covered for another 10 minutes or till the sauce reaches the thickness you like.

Stir in the remaining olive oil and oregano.

Chickpea curry in olive oil is ready. Serve hot garnished with sliced olives.

Notes:

Try more dishes cooked in olive oil:

Also check out these dry legume recipes: