Butter Chickpeas (Slow Cooker)
If you are feeling virtuous, feel free to substitute coconut milk for the coconut cream – it will just have a thinner consistency. But, honestly, if we are going for those takeaway-style vibes, just add the coconut cream. Life is short. And it tastes amazing.
If you are concerned about the lectin in dried beans, see my tips below for preparation instructions.
Ingredients 25
1⁄2 tbsp coconut oil
1 red onion, large, finely chopped
1 heaped tablespoon ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garam masala
225 g dried chickpeas
1 tin crushed tomatoes, 400 g
1 tin coconut cream, 400 ml
125 ml vegetable stock
100 g butter
salt, to season
1 tsp brown sugar, if needed
To Serve
saffron rice
coriander leaves (cilantro leaves), chopped
naan
yoghurt
pickles, optional
lime cheeks
curry leaves, optional
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Method 4
Set the slow cooker to the sauté function and add the . Once hot, add the , , , , , , , , , and . Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent the spices from catching.
Once fragrant, add the , , , and . Close the lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
Season with salt. The bitterness of tinned tomatoes can vary considerably, so taste and add the if the sauce tastes slightly bitter. Keep tasting and seasoning until you feel you have the right balance of flavours.
Serve with rice, coriander and all the good stuff: naan, poppadoms, yoghurt, pickles and fresh lime. I love to flash-fry a few fresh curry leaves and stir these through the rice, but if you don’t have the time or inclination, feel free to omit.
Katrina Meynink's tips
In this book I have used dried white beans and chickpeas, among other pulses. I haven’t soaked them overnight. Instead, I let the slow cooker do the breaking down for me. This is contentious because there is some concern around the possibility of food poisoning from beans, which contain the plant lectin phytohaemagglutinin. This protein can be toxic at high levels, so the usual advice is to soak your beans in cold water overnight and boil them briefly before using. However, the beans I have used in these recipes have the lowest rate of lectin across all bean varieties, and most of the newer generation of slow cookers run at higher temperatures, eliminating the risk of food poisoning. To be safe, I recommend boiling your dried legumes for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
