interview with a spice master + butter chickpeas [5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
In the first installment for Spice Week here on stonesoup, I went through a long-awaited spring clean of my beloved spice box and cut my collection down to a list of essentials and nice to haves.
Today I have an big treat for you all. I was lucky enough to interview Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill, Australia’s premier purveyor of all things spice. On his Twitter profile (@herbiespices), Herbie professes to be obsessed with spices which I think means he’s more than passionate about them. If you’d like to learn more about Herbie’s Spices, I highly recommend checking out their website and online store. I’m pretty sure they ship internationally.
And before we get into it, I have a wonderful 5 ingredients 10 minutes recipe and a video to share today. It’s a minimalist curry I’m calling butter chickpeas. So don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for the recipe.
If chickpeas aren’t your thing feel free to use chicken, pork or even tofu.
I like this hot so tend to go for the 2 teaspoon quota of chilli flakes, but it’s probably safer to start out with 1 teaspoon or even less if you are feeding people with heat-sensitive taste buds.
1. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan. Cook garam marsala and chilli over a medium high heat for about 30 seconds.
2. Add drained chickpeas and cook for another minute or so.
3. Add tomatoes and their juices and bring to a fast simmer.
4. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then and breaking up the tomato with a fork.
5. When the sauce has reduced a little stir in the cream. Taste and season.
36 Comments
Wonderful recipe! I’m surprised it didn’t have any butter, though. I guess it doesn’t need it ;)
thanks wei wei – the cream is really what butter is before it becomes butter. you could use butter instead actually but you wouldn’t need anywhere near as much.
I have made “butter chickpeas” before,using a commercial “butter chicken” sauce, but I had no idea it could be this easy! And it looks absolutely delicious. Looking forward to cooking it myself over the weekend.
Nice interview. Glad to know about Herbies website. Your chick-peas looks quite restaurant styled! :) I use red-chilli powder in the place of flakes. It incorporates and blends nicely. This is my suggestion though. I’ve also posted the chick-peas (We call it ‘Chhole’) recipe on my blog too but it certainly doesn’t fit in your minimalist mantra. :)
Ooooh, I have recently fell in love with butter chicken! I can’t wait to try butter chick peas! I am also surprised about the cream…but even more surprised that it isn’t a LOT of cream! Score! Will be trying this very soon.
this looks delish! I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks!
This was lovely!
What a great interview! Since I started cooking and learning from my mum and grandma. I loved using many Asian Indian and middle eastern spices along with some culinary friends and one of my friend has turned me in to Chinese and Thai spices, and I am loving it. I guess I will not be minimalist with my spices and that is okay with me!
I just made this tonight — the flavor was great, but holy crap that was a lot of garam masala! It was quite grainy as a result…did you not encounter that?
2 Tablespoons of garam masala?! Surely it is teaspoons?
hey robert
thanks for your concern but I mean 2 tablespoons – because it’s the only spice we’re using here I think it needs it.
but you’re more than welcome to try it with less
phoebe
no I haven’t found the texture to be overly grainy – wonder if my garam marsala is more finely ground than yours? sounds like a particle size issue to me.
This sounds really good. I remember fondly a chickpea butter curry I had years ago in India but have never tried to replicate it. This post inspires me to try!
I just made this and was also going to ask if the 2 Tablespoons was supposed to be 2 teaspoons. Mine was grainy too and seemed just like too much. Tonight I diluted the leftovers with more tomato and a few diced fingerling potatoes and cooked that all for about 20 minutes and I loved it.
I enjoyed that interview immensely. I have been on their site a few times, scouting around for stuff, although I don’t think I’ve bought from them yet.
Did your spice box come from them as part of a set?
I love your blog and your videos but I cannot stand how often you say um!
i counted 37 times in this video and it took away from the food.
hi majeeda
no the box is an old wine box I got from a winery I used to work with
nicky
thanks for the feedback. I know, I could do with ALOT less ums
Nicky I can’t believe you actually counted!! Lol.
Jules I’m sure ‘ums’ will decrease with time (again, lol) as it probably takes a bit of time to relax in front of the camera…at least that would be the case for me. The wine box is a very cute idea. I have a masala daba which stores the usual 7 spices but then I have to have another container with lots of little jars for the rest. It’s easy to remove from the cupboard though, like yours would be. I think that is the key: being able to get to them easily.
just found your blog, and this recipe epitomises my simple and delicious mantra. smells like tomorrow night’s dinner to me!
I tried this out, but I think I may have burned the garam masala. It made my whole dorm smell delicious, though, and had other students popping into the kitchen to see what was cooking. It was delightfully easy (and cheap) so I’ll probably try it again soon.. this time on lower heat.
michaela
glad to hear you had your fellow students curiosity piqued. It can be super easy to overtoast spices so you’re right to try a lower heat next time.
thanks majeeda
it was good to get the feedback though so now I have something to work on
welcome to stonesoup delaney
if you like what you see I’d love to have you as a regular reader.
Hi there, I was wondering what you would reccommend as a vegan alternative to the cream? Cheers!
Haha, just watched the video through, I see you mentioned coconut cream, do you think the same amount of silken tofu might be a good option?
tofu would be a great as well
I’ve made your recipe as written a few times now. Really like it. Tonight I tried adding a mashed can of white beans to the sauce instead of the cream. Boosted the protein content and made it vegan. Bonus.
Thanks so much for this!
thanks for sharing erin
I would never have thought of adding beans – love it!
I’ve just made this dish and it’s divine and so quick!! So buttery and lovely. I used passata instead of tinned tomatoes and low fat greek yoghurt instead of cream. Thanks so much for sharing. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow :-)
Penny
Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear it worked well with the yoghurt!
When I make butter chicken at home I use tomato paste instead of tinned tomatoes. And a can of evaporated milk and a tablespoon of cornflour instead of cream or butter. This is a fantastic idea using chickpeas in place of meat. I can’t wait to give it a go. And I want to try serving it with quinoa which I haven’t tried yet.
I tried this once a while ago with butter and wasn’t really impressed. But last night I used plain, full-fat yogurt – YUM! The texture and flavor were both much smoother. I used 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and it was perfect for me, but too spicy for my husband to eat. I think my garam masala might be on the spicy side.
wonderful Katie
Thanks for reporting back :)
Absolutely delicious, totally cheap and really easy. A winner! Thanks.
Glad you like it Rhiannon!
Just made it after reading the comments! I only added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. To me, this 1 tsp = medium/hot level at an [American] Indian restaurant. I can’t imagine 2 tsp., LOL. I added 3 T of 1/2 and 1/2 (would heavy cream make a difference?). Tasted it. Then I added 2 T of coconut cream. Now it’s toned down a bit enough for me to enjoy. It was just too strong for me. Next time, I’ll probably use 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and 1 to 1 1/2 T of garam masala. Just my personal preference. And, I’ll put it over brown rice! But the recipe is so easy and fast, I love it! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Jen!
Cooking with chilli is so tricky because everyones palate is different AND different chillis vary as well. Good idea to add more cream / coconut cream if you find something too hot – serving with greek yoghurt has a similar effect.
Jx
This is one of my favorite recipes. I make this at least a couple times a month. It’s super versatile — I usually do chickpeas and chicken, but I’ve made it with other main ingredients, and imagine it would work with almost anything — pre-cooked lentils, potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, whatever. It’s easy to make vegan with coconut cream or cashew cream, or use sour cream or yogurt or whatever you have. The only tricky part is keeping garam masala in the house — it’s not in my local grocery stores, so I order from Penzy’s. I’ve recommended it to friends, including folks who don’t think they can cook, because it’s so simple and delicious.
//so glad you’re enjoying Karen!
You could use a mild curry powder in place of the garam masala if you run out :)
Wonderful recipe! I’m surprised it didn’t have any butter, though. I guess it doesn’t need it ;)
thanks wei wei – the cream is really what butter is before it becomes butter. you could use butter instead actually but you wouldn’t need anywhere near as much.
I have made “butter chickpeas” before,using a commercial “butter chicken” sauce, but I had no idea it could be this easy! And it looks absolutely delicious. Looking forward to cooking it myself over the weekend.
Nice interview. Glad to know about Herbies website. Your chick-peas looks quite restaurant styled! :) I use red-chilli powder in the place of flakes. It incorporates and blends nicely. This is my suggestion though. I’ve also posted the chick-peas (We call it ‘Chhole’) recipe on my blog too but it certainly doesn’t fit in your minimalist mantra. :)
Ooooh, I have recently fell in love with butter chicken! I can’t wait to try butter chick peas! I am also surprised about the cream…but even more surprised that it isn’t a LOT of cream! Score! Will be trying this very soon.
this looks delish! I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks!
This was lovely!
What a great interview! Since I started cooking and learning from my mum and grandma. I loved using many Asian Indian and middle eastern spices along with some culinary friends and one of my friend has turned me in to Chinese and Thai spices, and I am loving it. I guess I will not be minimalist with my spices and that is okay with me!
I just made this tonight — the flavor was great, but holy crap that was a lot of garam masala! It was quite grainy as a result…did you not encounter that?
2 Tablespoons of garam masala?! Surely it is teaspoons?
hey robert
thanks for your concern but I mean 2 tablespoons – because it’s the only spice we’re using here I think it needs it.
but you’re more than welcome to try it with less
phoebe
no I haven’t found the texture to be overly grainy – wonder if my garam marsala is more finely ground than yours? sounds like a particle size issue to me.
This sounds really good. I remember fondly a chickpea butter curry I had years ago in India but have never tried to replicate it. This post inspires me to try!
I just made this and was also going to ask if the 2 Tablespoons was supposed to be 2 teaspoons. Mine was grainy too and seemed just like too much. Tonight I diluted the leftovers with more tomato and a few diced fingerling potatoes and cooked that all for about 20 minutes and I loved it.
I enjoyed that interview immensely. I have been on their site a few times, scouting around for stuff, although I don’t think I’ve bought from them yet.
Did your spice box come from them as part of a set?
I love your blog and your videos but I cannot stand how often you say um!
i counted 37 times in this video and it took away from the food.
hi majeeda
no the box is an old wine box I got from a winery I used to work with
nicky
thanks for the feedback. I know, I could do with ALOT less ums
Nicky I can’t believe you actually counted!! Lol.
Jules I’m sure ‘ums’ will decrease with time (again, lol) as it probably takes a bit of time to relax in front of the camera…at least that would be the case for me. The wine box is a very cute idea. I have a masala daba which stores the usual 7 spices but then I have to have another container with lots of little jars for the rest. It’s easy to remove from the cupboard though, like yours would be. I think that is the key: being able to get to them easily.
just found your blog, and this recipe epitomises my simple and delicious mantra. smells like tomorrow night’s dinner to me!
I tried this out, but I think I may have burned the garam masala. It made my whole dorm smell delicious, though, and had other students popping into the kitchen to see what was cooking. It was delightfully easy (and cheap) so I’ll probably try it again soon.. this time on lower heat.
michaela
glad to hear you had your fellow students curiosity piqued. It can be super easy to overtoast spices so you’re right to try a lower heat next time.
thanks majeeda
it was good to get the feedback though so now I have something to work on
welcome to stonesoup delaney
if you like what you see I’d love to have you as a regular reader.
Hi there, I was wondering what you would reccommend as a vegan alternative to the cream? Cheers!
Haha, just watched the video through, I see you mentioned coconut cream, do you think the same amount of silken tofu might be a good option?
tofu would be a great as well
I’ve made your recipe as written a few times now. Really like it. Tonight I tried adding a mashed can of white beans to the sauce instead of the cream. Boosted the protein content and made it vegan. Bonus.
Thanks so much for this!
thanks for sharing erin
I would never have thought of adding beans – love it!
I’ve just made this dish and it’s divine and so quick!! So buttery and lovely. I used passata instead of tinned tomatoes and low fat greek yoghurt instead of cream. Thanks so much for sharing. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow :-)
Penny
Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear it worked well with the yoghurt!
When I make butter chicken at home I use tomato paste instead of tinned tomatoes. And a can of evaporated milk and a tablespoon of cornflour instead of cream or butter. This is a fantastic idea using chickpeas in place of meat. I can’t wait to give it a go. And I want to try serving it with quinoa which I haven’t tried yet.
I tried this once a while ago with butter and wasn’t really impressed. But last night I used plain, full-fat yogurt – YUM! The texture and flavor were both much smoother. I used 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and it was perfect for me, but too spicy for my husband to eat. I think my garam masala might be on the spicy side.
wonderful Katie
Thanks for reporting back :)
Absolutely delicious, totally cheap and really easy. A winner! Thanks.
Glad you like it Rhiannon!
Just made it after reading the comments! I only added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. To me, this 1 tsp = medium/hot level at an [American] Indian restaurant. I can’t imagine 2 tsp., LOL. I added 3 T of 1/2 and 1/2 (would heavy cream make a difference?). Tasted it. Then I added 2 T of coconut cream. Now it’s toned down a bit enough for me to enjoy. It was just too strong for me. Next time, I’ll probably use 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and 1 to 1 1/2 T of garam masala. Just my personal preference. And, I’ll put it over brown rice! But the recipe is so easy and fast, I love it! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Jen!
Cooking with chilli is so tricky because everyones palate is different AND different chillis vary as well. Good idea to add more cream / coconut cream if you find something too hot – serving with greek yoghurt has a similar effect.
Jx
This is one of my favorite recipes. I make this at least a couple times a month. It’s super versatile — I usually do chickpeas and chicken, but I’ve made it with other main ingredients, and imagine it would work with almost anything — pre-cooked lentils, potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, whatever. It’s easy to make vegan with coconut cream or cashew cream, or use sour cream or yogurt or whatever you have. The only tricky part is keeping garam masala in the house — it’s not in my local grocery stores, so I order from Penzy’s. I’ve recommended it to friends, including folks who don’t think they can cook, because it’s so simple and delicious.
//so glad you’re enjoying Karen!
You could use a mild curry powder in place of the garam masala if you run out :)