CHICKPEA CURRY

Serves 4

(Adapted from a recipe by Alison Roman for the New York Times.)

To avoid incurring hot flashes and night sweats, this version uses laughably small amounts of curry for some, but for others, it might be a nice introduction to curries.

The thermal property (according to Traditional Chinese Medicine) of each ingredient is listed in parentheses. Overall, this is a “neutral” to slightly “warm” recipe overall, best eaten during the cooler months.

2 TBSP avocado oil (“cool”)

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped (“warm”)

½ onion, coarsely chopped (“warm”)

1-inch piece of fresh ginger (“warm”), peeled, and grated or finely chopped, or ¼ tsp dried ginger (“hot”), (opt.)

1-15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (“neutral”)

1-15 oz. can of low fat or full fat coconut milk for cooking (“warm”)

1 tsp curry powder (maybe more if it’s winter) (“warm”)

¾ tsp sea salt (“cold”)

½ tsp turmeric (“warm”)

½ to 1 tsp dried mint (“cool”)

14 oz. can diced tomatoes (“cold”)

1-2 cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard, arugula (all “cool”), or collard greens (“neutral”)(can be frozen)

¼ cup vegetable broth (“cool”)or water (“neutral”)(if needed)

1 potato, peeled and cut into chunks (“neutral”), (opt.)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced (“neutral”), (opt.)

1 cup cauliflower, chopped (“neutral”), (opt.)

Accompaniments at the table:

Basmati or other long grain rice (“neutral”)

Yogurt or labneh (both “cold”)

Fresh mint leaves, chopped (“cool”)

Shredded unsweetened coconut (“warm”)

Extra curry powder, black or red pepper for your family (“warm” to “hot”)

***

Don’t be like me and forget to start cooking the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onions first, stirring frequently over 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped ginger once the onions become translucent.

Add the chickpeas to the pan along with the coconut milk and broth. Season with the turmeric, curry powder, salt, and mint. Crush about one-third to one-half of the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork which will help thicken the sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavor penetrate the garbanzos, then add the diced tomatoes, greens, and other vegetables to the mix and simmer until all is cooked. (Fresh collard greens will take longer to cook than spinach, chard, and arugula.)

Use labneh or Greek yogurt as a condiment to “cool” this dish down a bit more. Provide extra curry powder, black pepper and/or red pepper flakes at the table for your family to add as desired.