Chickpea Curry With a Touch of Fennel

Submitted by Andtototoo

"Like most chickpea recipes, this tastes better the second day. The touch of fennel makes all the difference in this curry. This recipe may have come from the cookbook "A Taste of Madras.""

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup butter
• 1 diced onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 whole cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• salt, as needed
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

directions

1. In a frying pan put the butter, diced onion, bay leaves, cardamom (remove seeds from the pod and powder them), cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds and the diced tomato.
2. Fry over medium heat until the onion is golden. Use a large spoon to mash up the tomato as it cooks.
3. Add the cayenne, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, salt, and fresh cilantro. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and their liquid. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and a thick sauce has formed.
5. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
6. Serve with rice or Indian bread.
7. Notes: Instead of butter you can add ghee (clarified butter). Reduce the cayenne if you don't want it to be spicy.