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Indian Butter Chickpeas

By Melissa Clark

Indian Butter Chickpeas
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Rating
5(6,599)
Comments
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A vegetarian riff on Indian butter chicken, this fragrant stew is spiced with cinnamon, garam masala and fresh ginger, and is rich and creamy from the coconut milk. You could add cubed tofu here for a soft textural contrast, or cubed seitan for a chewy one. Or serve it as it is, over rice to catch every last drop of the glorious sauce. You won’t want to leave any behind.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1large onion, minced
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 4garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
  • 1tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 2teaspoons garam masala
  • 1small cinnamon stick
  • 1(28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes
  • 1(15-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
  • Ground cayenne (optional)
  • Cooked white rice, for serving
  • ½cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

482 calories; 27 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 841 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook until golden and browned around the edges, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to medium-high; keeping the heat on medium ensures even browning without burning the butter.)

  2. Step 2

    Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook another 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick, and cook another 30 seconds.

  3. Step 3

    Add tomatoes with their juices. Using a large spoon or flat spatula, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot (or you can use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes while they are still in the can). Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and continuing to mash up the tomatoes if necessary to help them break down.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Serve spooned over white rice, and topped with cilantro.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,599 user ratings
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Comments

IndianToo

Don’t use coconut milk. It actually ruins what is a classic Indian dish eaten in every part of India - and our mothers and grandmothers have figured out over the centuries that coconut or its extract/milk is not a good match for the gentle, buttery taste of chickpeas and actually muddies the flavor. (Prakash and Sumam - thanks for the sage comments).

Caroline M

Two alterations to take this to a WOW-level dinner. First, puree the onions, spices, and tomatoes together before adding the coconut milk and chickpeas. This makes a silky, more restaurant-style sauce. Second, I found this recipe made a lot more sauce than the chickpeas needed, so I cubed up some extra firm tofu and added that in. The tofu soaks up all of the spices and feels like a paneer, but with much less fat and much more protein. Will DEFINITELY repeat.

LEC

I'm not understanding the need to judge Martha's adjustments to the recipe. What's the problem? She's suggesting that the recipe is flexible enough to substitute other proteins for the chickpeas. She is not arguing that other people should make it "non-vegetarian," "non-Indian," or should not follow the recipe exactly. Totally confused here by the need to scold Martha for adjusting it to her needs/pantry/taste.

Mary

I must have done something wrong because this dish was insanely spicy (and I didn’t use the cayenne, and I’m very ok with spice). My husband refuses to eat it. Otherwise, very good, but I’ll go back and read the other suggestions.

Renee

I'd also vote to 1.5 times the spices - and I think the amount of sauce is great - at least if you do simmer it for the amount of time given in the recipe. That gives it a great thickness, but you need the volume and will likely even add a bit of water when you go back the next day for the leftovers to thin it back down a little.

Jeff

This dish won a crowd favorite award at a party/potluck and apparently it wasn't even close. I used 1 teaspoon of cayenne. I might like it hotter but that seemed to be a good spice level for most people. Pay attention to the details in the recipe, it makes a difference. I used Vegan butter so my Vegan friends could eat it as well and it didn't detract from the flavor.

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