Crock-Pot Chickpea Curry

My "new life" as a full-time freelancer has been going well so far. So well, in fact, that I haven't had much time for cooking (with the exception of a catering gig I helped out with last Sunday). Various writing assignments, blogging work, and media events have kept me away from my kitchen, but I'm hoping to focus more on cooking in the coming weeks.

Last week was busy enough, however, that making dinner out of a can of chickpeas sounded awesome (and so wonderfully easy). I Pinned this recipe from the Savvy Vegetarian a while ago, and I thought this dish would be the perfect solution to having a delicious meal without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. And I was right.

I adapted the original recipe quite a bit, in order to fit what I had in my kitchen, but feel free to double this recipe if you're serving four people (or, if you want leftovers the next day).

Crock-Pot Chickpea Curry
Yields: 2 servings
Inspired by Savvy Vegetarian
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-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/2 yellow onion, diced
-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon coriander
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric
-Pinch of cayenne pepper
-1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-Salt and black pepper, to taste
-Water
-1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
-Garam masala

Directions:
1.) In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Remove pan from heat.
2.) Add chickpeas and onion mixture to a crock-pot (or large stove pot). Season everything with salt and black pepper. Pour in enough water to barely cover the chickpeas. Cook on low for 3.5 hours.
3.) About 30 minutes before serving, add the tomato to the crock-pot and stir. Allow everything to continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes (so the chickpeas cook for 4 hours total).
4.) Ladle the chickpea curry into two bowls; season each serving with a pinch (or two) of garam masala. Serve with warm naan bread.

*If you don't have a crock-pot, simply cook the chickpea mixture in a pot on the stove for 30 minutes over medium-low heat.

Our house smelled like comfort the entire time this dish was cooking. Although this dish is mostly comprised of canned chickpeas, the flavors were outstandingly exotic. The spices warmed the palate, and there was a slight hint of spice thanks to the cayenne pepper. I wished we had enough for leftovers the next day even before I was done with my dinner.

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