Chickpea Curry with Mango and Coconut

There are many, even in my own family, who do not care for chickpeas / garbanzo beans. For some it's texture related. For others, just plain dislike. I am not among those. I love chickpeas, whether in a salad, as hummus, as a dessert (Garbanzos en Dulce), in Indian mixtures like Channa Masala, or most ways I have encountered them. When a new recipe comes along, I sit up and take notice. 

Mango Coconut Chickpea Curry

Again this time it was from VeganRicha.com that I came across a recipe that comprised some of my favorite flavors, ticking so many boxes that I saved the recipe. Again, as with my previous post on some of her muffins, I change a few things to reflect my way of doing things. I completely understand where VeganRicha was coming from with her ingredients, because it makes the recipe more accessible to someone without a complete stock of Indian spices and other flavoring agents (unlike me). For her recipe of Mango Curry Chickpeas, please click on the link, which should take you right to that recipe page. 

One of the Brands I've Used

Richa uses ground cinnamon, cayenne and whole cloves. I used a small, 1-inch piece of stick cassia (the thick kind of stick), Kashmiri chili powder, and skipped the cloves, instead using crushed coriander seeds. I added in freshly ground pepper as well, and instead of a bay laurel leaf, which is what is known here in the US as bay leaf, I used a tej patta / tamal patra leaf, which is the Indian "bay leaf." These two have not much of anything in common, the tej patta tasting more of cinnamon than of bay laurel leaf. Toward the end of her recipe, she uses a couple of teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice to balance out the sweeter flavors. Instead I used tamarind concentrate from the Indian grocery nearby. It is an already prepared version, in runny form, just as if you'd taken the time to soak the tamarind pods, soften all the flesh, then strain it of all the seeds and fivers to make the preparation from scratch. A real time saver!

None of these changes are huge, just my own preferences. Please check out Richa's original recipe before proceeding with mine.

Another thing about the recipe is using mango puree. I never buy

 Mango Coconut Chickpea Curry

mangos in a can or mango puree or even mango juice. I prefer to eat fresh mangoes any day. Yet as Richa states, truly ripe mangoes are hard to come by, so making ones own puree may not yield the hoped-for flavor / sweetness results. However, my son and his wife were visiting over the weekend past and we all went to Patel Brothers Indian Grocery in Chandler, to stock up on some things. Not being Indian, I did not realize we were coming up to Diwali. The place was aswarm with people! But, what fun! I love saris, and had the opportunity to see so very many beautiful ones that day as many sari-clad ladies roamed the store. I complemented each one as I saw them! 

Back to the mango, my son loves mango, and he does buy mango juice, so he purchased a large-ish carton of "Alphonso Mango Juice." When he drank a glass of it, it looked awfully thick, but hey, I wasn't drinking it. It was also the most deep orange in color.  And, they accidentally left it in my fridge when they left to go home, too far away to come back for it.

It was far sweeter than was necessary for this recipe, but with everything else in the recipe, it was toned down a good bit, and I added a little more of the (very tart) tamarind extract at the end than is called for. It was the most heavenly tasting curry, ever!

Mango Coconut Chickpea Curry

Serves 3 to 4

Makes about 3 to 4 servings

Mango Coconut Chickpea Curry

1 medium onion, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
3 - 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
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2 teaspoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
1- inch cinnamon stick
1 small tej patta leaf

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½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Garam Masala
¼ - ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

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1¼ cup coconut milk
¾ cup mango puree

¼ - ½ teaspoon salt, or as needed
1½ cup cooked chickpeas, or canned, drained
2 - 3 teaspoons tamarind concentrate, or use lime juice
- cilantro, for garnish

Prepare the onion, ginger and garlic and set aside. Heat a skillet until quite hot and add in the cumin and coriander seeds with the cinnamon and tej patta leaf and stir quickly, until fragrant; a few seconds. Do not burn. Add in the onion, mix well and sauté until golden, then add in the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 to 3 minutes to take away the raw smell. Stir in the Kashmiri chili powder (or cayenne, to taste), ground black pepper and garam masala, until fragrant.

Stir in the coconut milk, mango puree and tamarind, then add in the chickpeas and mix well. Taste for salt before adding; chickpeas from a can may be salty enough already. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors. Serve garnished with cilantro.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Five Essential Spice Mixtures

We do not all cook alike. We do not all have the same, or even sometimes similar, tastes. But somewhere along the line, tastes will coincide, even if in a very small way. We do try to make something similar, or at least something that uses a similar flavor profile.

My taste in spices and spice mixtures may not coincide with yours. I do have more than the usual spices, I grant you. Still, sometimes a recipe will call for a spice mixture that you do not have. Often, you very well might have the ingredients on hand. Sometimes not. But, whatever your spice cabinet looks like, most would agree that making up a spice mixture fresh from whole seeds is going to taste better than pre-ground store bought, no matter how reputable. In addition, the ability to alter the mixture to reflect your own taste makes it more desirable still.

Cumin Seeds

For Example. Cumin.  

To me, cumin is a very over used spice. I agree it has its place in a lot of recipes, but for me, if cumin jumps out as a dominant flavor in a spice mixture or in a recipe - I just do not like it. This is my own taste. Obviously, for others this is not the case, because I have read and tasted enough recipes that require that I alter them or I just cannot enjoy it at all. When it comes to a spice mixture recipe, if it calls for 3 tablespoons of cumin, I will instead use a teaspoon or two.

Or Cilantro!

Cilantro Herb

Cilantro is so very disputed, and the line is hugely divided between the lovers and haters of this herb. I LOVE cilantro. I cannot get enough of it. I make one-egg omelets with a half cup of minced cilantro mixed into the egg. It is more like cilantro held together by egg. But I just love the flavors. Someone who cannot abide cilantro will be cringing at this description, but it is my personal taste.

So, here I want to present some spice mixtures that are, to me, essential. There are a lot of crossovers in the spice world, so despite Garam Masala being specifically Indian, is also used in many other recipes these days. Chinese Five-Spice is specifically Chinese, yet can be used in other applications with huge success. If you are carnivore, steaks likely play a big part in your life, and I have a wet rub for steaks that is just delightful. Or a spice mixture that is great on anything beef or pork. Not everyone cans their produce, but a good pickling spice is also good in other recipes. And so, here are my Five Essential Spice Mixtures. 

Allspice Berries

Beef & Pork Seasoning

Makes about 5 tablespoons (double or triple as desired)

1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried lemon peel
1½ teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1 teaspoon dried dill herb

Place all ingredients into a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place, away from heat and light. 

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Chinese Five-Spice

Makes about ½ cup 

Chinese Five Spices

10 whole star anise
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 (4-inch) stick true cinnamon, crumbled
2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
½ teaspoon whole cloves

Place all the spices into a dry skillet and heat, stirring constantly, until very fragrant. Turn onto a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder used only for spices. Store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in a cool, dark place.

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Garam Masala II

An alternate to my regular Garam Masala mixture, most of the spices are already in your spice cabinet, except, perhaps, the Tej Patta (Indian Bay Leaf - NOT our Bay Laurel leaf). If you do not have Tej Patta, it has a similar flavor to a bit more of cinnamon or cloves, so add a pinch more of those instead.

Makes about ⅓ to ½ cup

Tej Patta - Tamal Patra - Indian Bay Leaf

2 inches true cinnamon stick, crumbled (about 1 tablespoon)
1 - 2 Tej Patta (Tamal Patra) leaves, crumbled 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Place all spices into a dry skillet and heat to fairly high. Stir very often, so the spices do not burn. When they are very fragrant, remove from heat to a plate to cool. Grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder used only for spices. Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.
 
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Pickling Spices

Pickling Spice Mix

Makes about ⅓ cup
 
2 (3-inch) cassia cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) piece whole dried ginger
4 whole bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole mace blades, crumbled
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1 small dried red chili pepper, crumbled

Place the cinnamon sticks and the whole ginger into a baggie, or between towels and pound with a hammer or other heavy object until in medium small bits. Place in a small bowl, along with all the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine. 


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Wet Rub for Steaks

Makes enough to season about 3 or 4 steaks

Wet Rub Ingredients

 
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon Grains of Paradise, optional
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 cloves fresh garlic, more to taste
1 teaspoon Beef & Pork Seasoning Mix (above)
2 tablespoons olive oil

If making with fresh whole spices: Place rosemary, Grains of Paradise, black peppercorns and kosher salt into a mortar and grind with pestle until fairly fine, or to taste. Add in the garlic and pound to pulverize completely into a paste. Add in the olive oil and Beef & Pork Seasoning Mix and combine. Use hands to rub onto steaks at least 2 hours prior to grilling. Allow to rest at room temperature. Grill as desired.

If making with pre-ground spices: Use fresh rosemary; dried will never give the same flavor or texture. Place the rosemary into a small bowl. Use fresh garlic, finely minced, or passed through a garlic press and add to the rosemary in the bowl. Add in the finely minced rosemary, ground Grains of Paradise if using, the pepper, salt, Beef & Pork Seasoning Mix and olive oil and stir well to combine. Rub all over the steaks and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Grill as desired.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.