Star Anise & Date Masala Spiced Chickpeas
An Indian inspired recipe is full of flavor, a great side dish with some grilled meat.
Yield
6 servingsPrep
15 minCook
10 minReady
28 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅓ | cup |
canola oil
or other vegetable oil |
|
| 1 | medium |
spanish onions
peeled and chopped |
|
| 6 | cloves |
garlic
peeled and minced |
|
| 3 | tablespoons | tomato paste |
|
| 45 | ounces |
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 cans, or 1½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked |
|
| 2 |
cardamom pods
up to three |
*
|
|
| 9 |
dates
dried, pitted and chopped |
*
|
|
| 4 | teaspoons |
cumin
ground |
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
salt
or to taste |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
red pepper flakes
or to taste |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
black pepper
freshly ground, or to taste |
|
| 2 | whole |
star anise
or 1/4 teaspoon ground |
*
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
cilantro
freshly minced |
|
Directions
Drain the chickpeas and set aside in a nonreactive bowl.
With a knife, lightly crack the cardamom pods. Peel the shell to release the seeds and collect them in a small bowl. Discard the shells.
With a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle, crush the seeds (you can leave them whole if you don’t mind biting into them) and set aside.
In a medium pot set over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it begins to shimmer.
Stir in the onions and sauté for about 9 minutes, until they have softened and started to brown.
Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or so, until it has softened. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste.
Add the cardamom and all remaining ingredients and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and a bit water, enough to make them less than dry.
Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally to incorporate the flavors, stir in the cilantro and keep warm until serving.
Comments
Cardamon pods? How many?
Use two or three pods, and that should be plenty. Thanks for the comment, just updated the recipe. Happy Cooking :-)
Do you crush the Star Anise