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When you're short on time, a comforting bowl of ginger turmeric chickpeas is the answer

It's based on just a few ingredients, most of them in your pantry, and is flexible enough to take pressure off your week

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By The Washington Post | November 29, 2019 | Recipes

Joe Yonan, The Washington Post

This dish has got just a few ingredients, many of them pantry staples. It's hearty enough for dinner, light enough for lunch, flexible enough for eaters of various dietary persuasions. (Just turn it into a side for carnivores or add an egg for the non-vegan vegetarians.)

It's chickpeas, of course, perhaps my favourite culinary workhorse. This treatment comes from a lovely new book by Rakhee Yadav, who spices canned chickpeas with turmeric, cumin and ginger and saves some of the red onion to go on top as a crunchy garnish, along with cilantro or parsley. The twist that takes these up a notch: cherry tomatoes, roasted just long enough for them to collapse. They add a pop of tartness to balance the base of warming spices.

Add your carb of choice, especially if this is a meal, and mark another item off your to-do list. Better yet, double or triple it, and take even more pressure off your week.

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GINGER TURMERIC CHICKPEAS WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Active: 15 minutes | Total: 25 minutes 

3 to 4 servings

Warming spices, balanced by the acidic pop of tomatoes, make this is the kind of go-to chickpea recipe for when you're tired and want a quick, healthy and delicious meal. Serve with rice or flatbread.

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced 

Two (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas (about 3 cups), drained and rinsed 

One (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped (1 tablespoon) 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 to 1/2 cup water 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, for garnish 

Steps

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes start to collapse.

While the tomatoes are roasting, separate about 1/4 cup of the sliced onions and reserve for garnish.

Set a large skillet over medium high heat and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once it shimmers, stir in the rest of the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the chickpeas and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the ginger is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and 1/4 cup water, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the flavors have melded, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the roasted tomatoes and cook another minute. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup water if the mixture seems too dry.

Divide among serving plates. Garnish with the reserved onion slices and the cilantro. Serve right away.

(Adapted from "Heavenly Vegan Dals & Curries" by Rakhee Yadav. Page Street Publishing, 2019.)

Feature Image: Stacy Zarin Goldberg