(Nathan took this photo)

Chickpea curry
I’m still busy, but things have slowed down a bit. This past weekend, I drove to Wainwright to teach a class and do a reading. My first journalism job was in Wainwright, so it was a bit of a homecoming for me. This is the last big event I have planned for a while, other than my Asian Canadian film series. I think I’m going to be hunkering down a bit more, because I want to finish the draft of a novel that I’m working on. The Asian Canadian film series is still going on, and tonight we’re showing a horror movie called “Evangeline.”

Anyway, I’ve been making this recipe for over 20 years. It was probably one of the first recipes I learned when I was learning how to cook. I actually don’t even use a recipe for it when I make it anymore. This is something that I can just throw together, because I usually have chickpeas and a can of tomatoes in my house.

Indian chickpeas

1 onion, diced (I used less)
2 cloves garlic, minced (sometimes I just use garlic and skip the onion
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
a couple handfuls of spinach (optional)
1 tbsp canola oil (optional)
1-3 tsp curry paste (Patak’s works well)
1 can cooked chickpeas (or 3 cups_
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper (optional)

Saute onion and garlic in liquid from tomatoes or oil in skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Stir in curry paste and cook for 3 minutes, adding more juice from the tomatoes if it becomes too dry. Add tomatoes (and spinach if you want), chickpeas, lemon juice and soy sauce, cook for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

The spinach wasn’t in the original recipe, but I added it once because I had some extra spinach in the fridge, and because I like to sneak extra greens into recipes.

I usually serve this on basmati rice.

From Cooking Vegetarian by Vesanto Melina and Joseph Forest.