Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Stew

This is my adaptation of a classic indian dish made of chickpeas, potatoes, and cauliflower cooked slowly in a rich, mild curry sauce. While this version contains beef (flanken), you can easily make a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth or stock.
NotesSlow Cooker Size: 6 quart
Mild curry paste is available in the imported foods section of your supermarket or in specialty stores that sell Indian ingredients. I recommend Instant India.
8 to 10 servings
Cooking Time8 min
Cooking Methodslow cooking
CostModerate
Total Timehalf-day
Make Ahead RecipeYes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free
Equipmentcrock pot
Mealdinner
Taste and Texturecreamy, meaty, spiced
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 pound dried chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and picked over to remove any bits of dirt and debris
- 1 (2½-pound) piece of flanken
- 16 small, unpeeled new potatoes, scrubbed
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth, vegetable broth, or Vegetable Stock
- ½ cup mild curry paste (see Notes)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 head cauliflower, stem end and outer leaves removed, broken into florets
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cranberry-Mango Chutney
Instructions
-
Place the onion, garlic, chickpeas, flanken, potatoes, and 4 cups of the broth in the insert of the slow cooker.
-
Place the curry paste and tomato paste in a medium bowl with the remaining 2 cups of broth. Whisk to blend the pastes with the broth, and then add it to the insert. Cover and cook on HIGH for 8 to 10 hours, or until the chickpeas, meat, and potatoes are very soft.
-
Add the cauliflower and cook on HIGH for 1 more hour, or until the florets are tender when pierced with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with jasmine rice cooked with saffron, and Cranberry-Mango Chutney.
Read NextTranslucent Sugar Glaze
2001 Lora Brody