Tomato Chickpea Curry

Servings

• 8-10 

Ingredients

• Coconut Milk - 2 cans
• Plum Tomatoes (fresh) - 10 
• Onion - 1
• Paneer - 1 brick (341g)
• Chickpeas - 1 can
• Spinach - 150g
• Almonds (flaked) - 50g
• Red Chillies (fresh) - 2
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Ginger - 1 ½ inch piece
• Grape Seed Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Curry Leaves (fresh) - 15g
• Saffron - Pinch
• Fenugreek Seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Mango Chutney - 2 teaspoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Brown or White Rice - As desired

Directions

Preparation

• Prep the Tomatoes
• Score tomatoes with an ‘X’ at the top of the core and place them gently into boiling water for 45 seconds. Take them out of the water and remove the skin from them.

• Prep the Paneer
• Cube the brick of paneer and fry it with 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil. Using grapeseed oil instead of olive oil is good because it has a higher smoke point. Avocado oil is also a good alternative to grapeseed that also has a high smoke point. Once browned, set the paneer aside.

• Prep the Saffron
• Place the saffron into a small bowl and pour 5 tablespoons of boiling water over top and let it rest. 

• Prep the Sliced Almonds
• Toast the almonds on medium heat with a teaspoon of butter or oil of your choice. Be careful to watch them so they do not burn. After the almonds have browned remove them from the heat and set aside.

• Prep the Spices
• Onions - Dice the onion.
• Chillies - Finely chop the chillies. To make it less spicy you can take the seeds out. If you want your curry to be more spicy, keep more of the seeds in.
• Garlic and Ginger - Finely chop or grate the garlic and ginger. Using a ‘Microplane’ grater is an excellent way to finely process these two ingredients.

Cooking

• Begin by cooking the rice. If cooking with brown rice you will want to start it before you are ready to cook your curry. White rice can be started at the same time as the curry.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil in a wok and add the curry leaves for one minute.
• Then add the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and stir for one minute.
• Then add the onions, chillies, garlic and ginger to the mix, stirring constantly for three minutes.
• Then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and saffron water to the wok and let cook at a simmer temperature for 20 minutes. Add the mango chutney half way through this cooking time.
• Once cooked, add the spinach and paneer.
• Serve over rice and garnish with toasted sliced almonds. Enjoy!

Tips

For that authentic curry smell and taste, curry leaves are essential. These can be hard to find however most Indian grocery stores will carry this fresh spice. You will likely have leftover curry leaves and these can be kept in the freezer to make this dish again at another time.