Boil

Chickpea & Potato Curry

October  2, 2020
4
9 Ratings
Photo by Chetna Makan
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

An easy yet stunning little curry, this chickpea potato number could easily become your next family favorite. All the spices work really well with the potatoes, plus you get plenty of bite and texture from the chickpeas. Finished with a touch of cream and fresh cilantro, the curry is ready to serve with your favorite side. —Chetna Makan

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Chickpea & Potato Curry
Ingredients
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 inch peeled ginger, grated
  • 2 medium size tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 2/3 cups water
  • 3 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
  • two 15 ounces cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the cinnamon and bay leaf. After a few seconds, add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until nice and golden.
  2. To this, add the grated garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Now add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, until soft and mushy. Time to add all the spices and cook another minute. Now add the water, followed by the potatoes and then the chickpeas. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
  3. The last thing to add is the cream and cilantro. You can remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick before serving. Mix well and serve warm with bread, naan, or rice.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

14 Reviews

Paw011035 May 29, 2022
This is a phenomenally delicious recipe! Flavor all over the place. Yes, we all have different taste buds but I can’t imagine why anyone would not find it flavorful enough unless their spices were not fresh. Thank you Chetna!
michelletuyetto October 2, 2021
This recipe is flawed because whoever wrote the instructions failed to mention that it was cooked with a pressure cooker lid. If you are using a regular pot with lid, you need to triple the cook time. Additionally, one should use a potato masher and mash up about 30% of the chickpeas and potatoes so they can break up a bit, releasing their starch and absorb the spices. If you don't do this, the liquid is way too acidic and the vegetables taste bland. I used coconut milk at the end and found it worked out well. And what will take this dish over the top is adding a drizzling of "chonk" a la Priya's recipe from Bon Appetit, where you briefly fry up some cumin seeds, kashmiri chili powder and a pinch of asafoetida. You can find these ingredients on Amazon and use this oily drizzle at the end of every indian curry dish you make from here on out. It is worth the effort to get these extras. If you ever wonder why your Indian recipes never come out good, it is because you are not adding chonk. I am disappointed that Food52 watered down this recipe for the sake of accessibility. Shame on them.
foodie5280 July 26, 2021
Loved this recipe! Easy,healthy and so tasty! I could eat this every week!
Fabian G. May 3, 2021
made this today and I was in love instantly. What a wonderful recipe. everything well balanced and just yum...
frannier February 28, 2021
i thought this was a great mild curry recipe! i used about half a can of diced tomato and added some kale at the end--overall very happy with the result. a winner and an easy nourishing meal!
frannier February 28, 2021
also used coconut cream in place of dairy to keep vegan :)
mymymyra October 13, 2020
This was not my favorite but I thought it was pretty good. I followed the recipe closely (I didn't have fresh ginger (used powder) and I didn't have cream). My onions took over an hour to brown (not 10 minutes). The onions were super tasty so do not skip this step! I would recommend using a bigger pan than you think, mine was almost too small at the end to hold everything.

Next time, I would use less potatoes and cut them smaller. I would add a little more of the spices next time, but not more chili. I thought the heat was actually perfect.
Chetna M. November 16, 2020
Glad you enjoyed it, yes best to make it your own by adjusting spice and seasoning levels to your taste.
Meg October 11, 2020
Loved this! I added red pepper flakes for a bit more heat, some tomato paste in addition to the fresh tomatoes and chicken broth instead of water and it turned out wonderfully. Will definitely make again!
Chetna M. November 16, 2020
That sounds perfect!
Mary E. October 9, 2020
Followed this recipe to a t and unfortunately found the final product a little dull and disappointing.
Erika H. October 11, 2020
Same. I modded it to boost the flavor.
Erika H. October 11, 2020
*I ended up modding it at the end to boost the flavor. I added another tomato, more ginger, more spices and lemon. It was still only ok.
Chetna M. November 16, 2020
Sorry to hear that you felt that way, this is supposed to be a mild creamy curry so I can kept the spices low and basic. Have you tried my punjabi chicken curry yet?