Test Kitchen: Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric

By Caroline Kohler, SAR ’19 ’21

Winter is still going strong, so a stew is the perfect meal for the weather. An added bonus, this stew is so brightly colored! The color comes from the turmeric, which also adds lot of health benefits.

What is Turmeric?

  • Turmeric is derived from the root of the turmeric plant, which is grown in southeast Asia. It’s commonly associated with Indian cooking.
  • Turmeric will turn anything that it is in bright yellow! It can also stain dish towels and clothes so be careful with splashing the stew!
  • Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Most of the common noncommunicable diseases—such as heart disease and cancer—are relation to inflammation.

What We Liked

  • A one pot wonder! Because we were quadrupling the recipe, we had to use multiple pots, but you can use just one pot. “Building” the recipe all in one pot deepens the flavors.
  • The preparation is easy. All you have to do is chop the onion and ginger and then put everything in the pot.
  • This recipe can actually be a soup or a stew. If you like more broth, mash the chickpeas less, or if you like a thicker stew, mash the chickpeas more and even let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Tips and Tricks

  • We wanted to try the original recipe since it is internet famous, but you can decrease the coconut milk to one can if you want to make a lower-fat version. We found two cans to be a bit overpowering. Perhaps if we had stewed it for longer or combined the stew with rice, it might have combined a bit better.
  • More veggies are always better! We loved the kale, and we decided that the next time we make it, we want to add carrots.
  • Be liberal with the spices—this is a large quantity of soup and needs have lots of flavor. We also added some smoked paprika (a favorite in the Test Kitchen!)

Sargent Choice Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Recipe from the New York Times
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling at end, if desired
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch favorite greens (Swiss chard, kale, collard greens) stems removed and torn into bite sized pieces) *recommended curly kale

Optional for serving: Greek yogurt, whole wheat pita, fresh mint or fresh cilantro

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with ½ teaspoon 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 ½ teaspoon 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 the coconut milk and stock to the pot. 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 the 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.)
  5. Divide among bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt, mint, cilantro, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like. Serve alongside toasted pita if using.