Chickpea Curry in the Slow Cooker
Easy Indian Chickpea Curry in the Slow Cooker! Try this crockpot friendly veggie-based gluten-free chickpea curry recipe (that can be prepared dairy free as well!)
In my younger years, I had the opportunity to spend three separate summers in India. I have many vivid memories of the hospitality of the Indian people, as well as the vibrant culture and food.
On my third trip, I spent a summer working in a small village in central India. Nowadays many Indian cities are thriving urban areas, mingling colorful history with modern flair. However, most often, rural India lives on as their ancestors in small villages with dirt roads, thatched roofs, and open air communal buildings.
In our little village, we cooked most of our meals over camping stoves. Yet the generosity of the Indian people opened the doors for many meals to be shared with our short-term neighbors.
Due to India’s caste system, many of our neighbors were vegetarian. I was always awestruck by the array or legume and egg based curry dishes we were served at any given meal. Always with a heaping pile of fragrant basmati rice and a stack of steaming chapatis (flat tortilla-like bread.)
I actually had an impromptu cooking lesson, on several occasions, when a kindly granny would take me under her wing for the evening. Once I learned to make chapatis sitting on a dirt floor, over a small stone table. Another time, I learned to make a classic chickpea curry dish in a hanging ceramic vessel over a campfire.
Today’s Chickpea Curry in the Slow Cooker is a nod to the bright yellow aromatic chickpea curry I learned to make so many years ago. The fragrant silky sauce is the perfect complement to the hearty chickpeas and sweet potatoes.
I’ve simplified the recipe to reduce the necessary ingredients by almost half, yet retaining the intense flavor.
Making Chickpea Curry in the Slow Cooker allows you to prep very little, then set-and-forget this vegetarian dinner until much later in the day.
Not only is Chickpea Curry in the Slow Cooker fabulous served over rice, it makes a wonderful Indian-style filling for warm naan and chapatis!
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 13 ounce can thick unsweetened coconut milk)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 2 – 14 ounce cans chickpeas, drained
- 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
NOTE: Using heavy cream creates an ultra rich luxurious curry. However, you can substitute coconut milk to make a slightly lighter dairy-free option. My favorite way to prepare this dish is to use half cream and half coconut milk. That way, you get the coconut flavor and the silky cream texture.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 4-6,
Serving Size: 6
Amount Per Serving:
- Calories: 322 Calories
- Total Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4g
- Cholesterol: 11mg
- Sodium: 426mg
- Carbohydrates: 59.8g
- Fiber: 9.8g
- Sugar: 5.6g
- Protein: 8.8g
Directions:
- Add the oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Sautee the onions, garlic and ginger until soft, 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat. Place the onion mixture in the blender, along with the cream (or coconut milk,) all spices, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and puree until smooth.
- Pour the curry blend into the slow cooker, then add the chickpeas and chopped sweet potato. Mix well. Place the lid on the slow cooker, and turn on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, serve warm over basmati rice or with Indian style flat bread (naan or chapatis.)
Source: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/chickpea-curry-in-the-slow-cooker/
