Tips On The Kitchen: Chickpea Flour Curry

I'm still playing catch up and struggling to get back into a routine after coming home from my vacation. I've been revisiting tried and tested staples and turning to easy meal solutions, like this chickpea flour curry. I suspect I'll be spending more time in the kitchen when the Fall temperatures set in.

Chickpea flour has long been a staple in my kitchen, but over the past few months, I've been restocking my supply more frequently since I have discovered besan flour can shine as the main ingredient in a dish, and also serve as a replacement for gluten flours in baked treats (think Chocolate Cocoa Brownies with Dried Cranberries and Chickpea Flour). Mona's recipe for Besan Ka Salan (Gram Flour Curry) caught my attention right away, not only because it sounded so good, but also because chickpea flour dishes like this one are a good solution for a quick but healthy and satisfying dinner. As Mona suggests, this dish is best served with an Indian flatbread such as naan instead of rice. It is also advisable to serve the dish shortly after it is prepared so it doesn't dry up. You want that liquid component to scoop up with the naan.

Chickpea Flour Curry

Adapted from Mona's Besan Ka Salan

few teaspoons of oil
1 small onion, chopped (or 2 large shallots, chopped)
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
3 - 4 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup of chickpea flour (besan)
1 1/2 cups of water
fresh parsley for garnishing

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mustard seeds turn brown and begin to pop. Add the onion (or shallots) to the pan and cook until browned. Now add the green chilies, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, garam masala and fenugreek leaves and stir and fry for about a minute. Add the tomato, and cook until softened. Add the chickpea flour to the pan, along with the water, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and it reaches your desired consistency. Add more water to the pan if necessary.

Serves 3 - 4.