These Sweet and Sour Chickpeas were really hard to photograph, which is why they almost didn’t end up here on the blog. They are so delicious, however, that I decided to give you my best effort. It took multiple photo shoots, but here they are!
Don’t be fooled by their brown, mushy vegetable appearance. These tasty chickpeas are Vegetarian Indian Food at its best. If you’ve ever eaten Indian cuisine, then you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s all about the flavor and very little about appearance.
I love the spice combinations in so many Indian dishes and these Sweet and Sour Chickpeas don’t disappoint. The chickpeas are spiced with coriander, cumin, garam masala, and fresh cilantro, then topped with fresh mint.
The tangy sweet and sour flavor is achieved with Tamarind Puree, which is a completely unique flavor and the delicious secret ingredient in this dish.
I’d like to tell you that the kids gobble this up and say thank you when they’re done. In reality, only Esme and I appreciate this dish while the younger two girls lobby for something a little less, ahem, flavorful.
Luckily, I don’t have to cook more than one meal on nights that I serve this. Instead, I deconstruct dinner just a bit and the two younger girls end up eating plain rice, plain chickpeas, and plain flat bread, with tomatoes on the side. It works, and hopefully someday they’ll come around to more of these Indian spices.
Luckily, I don’t have to cook more than one meal on nights that I serve this. Instead, I deconstruct dinner just a bit and the two younger girls end up eating plain rice, plain chickpeas, and plain flat bread, with tomatoes on the side. It works, and hopefully someday they’ll come around to more of these Indian spices.
This dish is a simple weeknight meal. Serve it with Basmati Rice and/or some good Indian flat bread. This makes really good leftovers too!
Yield: 6
Sweet and Sour Chickpeas
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see note)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- pinch of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons tamarind puree
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (roma work well)
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons, toasted coriander seeds
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the ghee over medium high heat. Saute the onion until tender, about 6 or 7 minutes. Stir in the ginger, then add the chickpeas, honey, and spices. Stir until well combined, then add the tamarind and tomato. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cilantro leaves. Serve with cooked rice and/or flat bread. Top with fresh mint and toasted coriander seeds. Serves 6
- Note: If you'd like to start with dry chickpeas instead of canned, soak 2 1/4 cups dry chickpeas overnight. Drain, then cook the soaked beans in 8 cups of water over low heat for about 1.5 hours, or until soft.
- Adapted from The Food of India
Emily says
I think the pictures turned out wonderfully, especially considering how difficult Indian food really can be to work with! I’m also really glad you decided to share this recipe, because it sounds great… I recently moved to a small town that doesn’t have any Indian food options, so I’m extra interested in easy recipes I can make at home!