- 2 cups diced onion (approx. 1 lrg onion)
- 3 tbsp Garlic-Ginger Paste
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red-pepper flakes or kashmiri powder
- 2 - 15 oz cans organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 - 15 oz cans FULL-FAT coconut milk
- 2 cups stock*
- 1 bunch kale, cleaned and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
If you do not have any Garlic-Ginger Paste, substitute with 1 1/2 tbsp each of minced garlic and ginger instead.
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Mint Cilantro Chutney, for garnish
- 3/4 cup Cashew Sour Cream, for garnish
To cook the dish, add the oil and onions, along with a good pinch of salt, to a large heavy-bottomed pot and let cook over medium heat until the onions have softened and become translucent, about 20 minutes or so.
Next, add the Garlic-Ginger Paste and let cook for another minute or so.
Next, add the turmeric, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Fry this mixture, stirring frequently until the chickpeas started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, approx 8 to 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, add a touch more oil.
Once done, remove about a cup of chickpeas and set them aside for garnish later.
At this point, use a spoon or potato masher to slightly crush the remaining chickpeas — you are not looking to make mashed chickpeas, you just want to break them up enough so that they release some of their starchy insides, which will help to thicken the stew.
Next, add the coconut milk and stock to the pot. For the stock, we like to use a good vegetable or plant-based chicken stock, such as this Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder. Bring this to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until stew has thickened and flavors have started to come together for approximately 1 hour. The time will ultimately depend on the heat and how thick you want the final sauce to be.
Once you have reached the desired thickness, add the greens and stir to combine. Cook the greens until they have softened and wilted — approximately 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the greens and/or vegetables used. To help the greens steam a bit when you first put them in, you may want to cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar.
Lastly, taste for seasoning, add more salt, pepper, heat, or seasoning as desired. For example, for a more of an Indian flare, add a teaspoon or so of garam masala at the end.
To serve the dish, spoon it into bowls and then garnish with some of the reserved chickpeas, a big dollop of Cashew Cream and Mint Cilantro Chutney and then serve with some extra chile flakes and lemon wedges — diced tomatoes also work nicely as an additional garnish.
Note: If you don’t have any Mint Cilantro Chutney, you can simply top the stew with some fresh mint and cilantro but the chutney really does take the dish to a whole new level.
Serve the dish as is or serve with some steamed rice and pappadums or naan bread.
This recipe is based on a very popular recipe by Alison Roman from The New York Times.
Feel free to experiment with the flavorings and vegetables used in this dish. This stew lends itself well to a variety of other vegetables, such as cauliflower, peppers, sweet potatoes and so many more.