“The Stew” by Alison Roman

“Spiced chickpeas are crisped in olive oil, then simmered in a garlicky coconut milk for an insanely creamy, basically-good-for-you stew that evokes South Indian chana and some stews found in parts of the Caribbean.”

— Alison Roman

I came across this phenomenal stew on YouTube as it was recommended to me a few weeks ago. I didn’t realize this was a “viral” stew on the food scene until watching the video. I was immediately intrigued, and I’ve since made this stew TWICE in two weeks. I absolutely LOVE it. The stew is the full of so many flavors that come together beautifully. It is rich, spicy, creamy, thick, mushy, crunchy, and full of so much life. I made the stew vegetarian, but it could easily be vegan, just omit the greek yogurt.

I promise, you’re going to want to make this stew.

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I recommend watching the video of Alison Roman making the stew before making it yourself. She speaks to her technique when approaching this recipe. It also helps cut out the intimidation.

Getting the chickpeas crispy is key at the beginning of this recipe. This is where the crunch comes in at the end (outside of leafy greens). So, when adding olive oil, I didn’t measure out an actual 1/4 cup, I tossed enough in my dutch oven to coat the bottom. Once the onion, garlic, and ginger were cooking, I added in the chickpeas, and then I added more olive oil based on how well coated the chickpeas were. This worked great for me, and the chickpeas crisped up.

Before I added in the wet ingredients, I started to mush up the remaining chickpeas in the dutch oven. I didn’t spend a lot of time doing this, only because I wanted to get the stew cooking. Next, I added the coconut milk, and the vegetable stock. I then mushed up the chickpeas more as the stew started to simmer and then left it alone for 10 minutes at a time. I came around to stir it and mush more chickpeas on three time.

The stew thickened up perfectly. It was definitely a stew as opposed to a soup. Once I put the kale in, it soaked up a lot of the stew base, making it even thicker.

I served the dish to myself and my husband as Alison Roman recommends: adding a dollop of greek yogurt (sour cream might be a good substitute if you don’t have yogurt), fresh cilantro, fresh mint, a dust of turmeric, and sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I highly recommend adding the toppings, especially the greek yogurt, but the stew is perfect without those toppings.

I now love cooking with ginger and coconut milk. This stew has definitely encouraged me to test more vegan recipes.

Happy stewing!

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Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
•  Yogurt, for serving (optional)
•  Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add turmeric, red-pepper flakes and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.
3. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides (this will help thicken the stew). Add coconut milk and stock to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened and flavors have started to come together, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to taste as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey! 
4. Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook a few minutes so they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.
5. Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like.

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Let me know how the recipe turned out for you in the comments below!