Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric

This stew was an innocent dinner last week.  I saw my friend Leanne post a photo of this stew on her Instagram feed and it looked delicious, vegan, flavorful, easy, everything I like and the way my family eats.  She mentioned she found the recipe in the NY Times.  Well, what she didn’t tell me was that it was Alison Roman’s recipe for the NY Times and it had its own hashtag #thestew.  Who knew??!!

And I can see why this recipe has been trending.  It was super good and really pretty.  Pretty dishes get all the love these days.  But I will vouch for this recipe that it’s not just a pretty face.  There’s substance to this stew and it’s pretty healthful.  We’re still struggling in LA with unseasonably cool temps, so soups and stews have been my life this winter. I especially appreciate the warming nature of ginger and chili flakes.

There’s a good chance you have all the ingredients to make this in your pantry/fridge.  I have been growing herbs on my patio, so I was quite delighted to use my fresh mint here.  I have been deviating from recipes lately and instead using what I have or adapting the ingredients to what is seasonally available.  The green curly kale was my favorite part of this stew, believe it or not.  The ridges on the edge of the leaves picked up so much stewy goodness.  But I could see adding asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or snap peas.

I hope this recipe is not in your repertoire yet and that I’m bringing you something new.  If you make it and post it, use the hashtag #thestew and tag me so I can see your beautiful creations @pamelasalzman.  Enjoy!

Shop the recipe by clicking on the images below:

4.88 from 16 votes

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric

By Alison Roman for the NY Times

Servings: 4 -6 servings

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ ¼ cup unrefined coconut oil, avocado or olive oil, plus more for serving
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• ▢ 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2, 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 2 15-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk*
• ▢ 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• ▢ 1 bunch of organic Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces (I highly recommend green curly kale so that the thick stew gets caught in the ruffles of the kale leaves)
• ▢ 1 cup of fresh mint and/or cilantro leaves, for serving
• ▢ full-fat greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt, for serving (optional)
• ▢ toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

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Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with a big pinch of sea salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add turmeric, red-pepper flakes and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides which will thicken the stew. Add the coconut milk and stock to the pot, and season with another pinch of salt and pepper (go easy on the salt if your stock is salted.) Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. If after 30 to 35 minutes you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency.
• Stir in the greens and cook until wilted and softened, about 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Taste the stew for salt and pepper before you serve and add more if you think it needs it.
• Divide among bowls and serve with desired condiments on the side (yogurt, herbs, pita or lavash.)

Notes

*Personally, the ratio of coconut milk to stock is more rich than I like. I make it with a little less coconut milk, like 1 1/2 cans, and more vegetable stock, like 2 3/4 cups. I also very often add cauliflower rice about 20 minutes prior to finishing cooking. I also sometimes swap 2 cups of diced vegetables like carrots and cauliflower florets for 1 can of the chickpeas.

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