Ingredients
1 cup brown basmati rice, uncooked, for serving
2 tbsp coconut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium, chopped
1 serrano pepper, medium, or jalapeño pepper, minced
½ tsp fine sea salt, to taste
5 garlic cloves, (about 1 tablespoon), pressed or minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, (about a 1-inch piece), peeled and minced
1½ tsp garam masala
1½ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
cayenne pepper, pinch, (optional)
28 oz fire-roasted tomatoes, (1 large can), crushed, or whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
14 oz chickpeas, (2 cans), or 3 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
lemon wedges
fresh cilantro, optional
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove and rinse the rice in a fine-mesh colander. Once boiling, pour in the rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice.
Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and season with sea salt to taste.
In a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, serrano and salt. Cook until the onion is tender and turning translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, and cayenne (if using), then cook for another minute, while stirring constantly.
Add the tomatoes and their juices. If using whole tomatoes, use the back of a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes apart (leave some chunks of tomato for texture).
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chickpeas. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 10 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop.
Season to taste with additional salt, if desired. If it’s not spicy enough, add another pinch of cayenne.
Serve over basmati rice, if desired, and garnish with a lemon wedge or two and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.
