Tender Chickpeas in Golden Karhi Sauce

It's Yamuna Devi week here at Lisa's Kitchen. It's no secret to my regular readers how much I adore Ms. Devi's recipes. In fact, her cookbook The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking was my very first introduction to Indian cuisine shortly after I became a vegetarian. Until I received this book as a gift, I'd never even tried traditional Indian cooking. I grew up just outside of a small town North of Toronto with little to offer when it came to fine dining, and my mom, while an excellent cook and baker, didn't really experiment with ethnic foods. I've not turned back since discovering the distinction, flavour and variety that characterizes Indian cuisine and though I enjoy experimenting with various ethnic cuisines, Indian cooking remains my favorite.

I'm starting the week with a tasty chickpea recipe from "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking." This is not the only cookbook that Yamuna Devi has written, and I own more than one of her wonderful books, but for this week, I'm going to focus on recipes from this cookbook. As I've noted before, I frequently refer to the book as the Bible of Indian cooking. Containing recipes of varying complexity, making it perfect for novices and experienced cooks alike, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking features over 500 traditional Indian recipes for beans and legumes, grains, breads, vegetables, cheese, chutneys and sauces, snacks and sweets, savories, and beverages, in addition to a very helpful glossary of terms and definitions. Detailed descriptions precede each section and recipe, complete with serving suggestions and information regarding the origins and traditions of the dishes presented. The reader is also treated to many adorable illustrations. Good reading and good eats!

This recipe from North India for Chickpeas in a Golden Karhi Sauce has long been one of my favorites. Ms. Devi recommends serving the dish with Piquant Lemon Rice. I served it with her Rice and Cauliflower Pilaf.

Tender Chickpeas in Golden Karhi Sauce (Kabli Chana Karhi)

For the Chickpeas:

1 1/4 cups of dried whole chickpeas
1 teaspoon of salt
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 whole green cardamom pods

For the Karhi Sauce:

1/4 cup of chickpea flour
2 cups of water, whey or yogurt
2 cups of buttermilk, or heavy cream or milk
1 heaping teaspoon of turmeric
generous half tablespoon of ground coriander
1 - 2 teaspoons of salt
8 curry leaves, preferably fresh
2 - 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley

For the Seasoning:

small handful of dried red chilies
1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds
3 tablespoons of ghee, or a combination of butter and oil

Soak the chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover. Drain and rinse. Place the soaked chickpeas in a large pot along with 5 - 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer until the chickpeas are tender - roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and bay leaf and set the chickpeas aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and water or yogurt, buttermilk, turmeric, ground coriander, salt, curry leaves, 1 tablespoon of the fresh coriander or parsley and the reserved cooking liquid until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

Pour the mixture (the karhi) into a large heavy pot, and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat somewhat, and simmer for another 20 -25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add the cooked chickpeas, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Cover, and remove from the heat.

Next, prepare the seasoning. In a small saucepan, dry roast the red chillies and cumin seeds over moderate heat for a few minutes. Add the ghee, or butter and oil, cook for another two minutes or so, pour the seasonings into the chickpeas, cover and let sit for a few minutes. Stir in the remaining coriander or parsley and serve hot.

Serves 6.