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From: nlm@ulysses.UUCP (Nancy Mintz)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Chickpeas in Tamarind Sauce
Message-ID: <10006@ulysses.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 17:57:55 EST
Article-I.D.: ulysses.10006
Posted: Mon Mar  4 17:57:55 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 03:24:12 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 108

This is a fairly thick souplike dish, with a tangy brownish-red sauce.
It keeps well, and is really better on the 3rd day (if there's any left then!).
As a variation, you can use cauliflower or potatoes instead of chickpeas.
If using potatoes, simmer a little longer at the end.

The recipe is from Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking", with
a couple of adjustments from an Indian cooking class I attended.

Enjoy!
Nancy Mintz
ulysses!nlm
AT&T-Bell Labs, Room 5D-115, 600 Mountain Ave, Murray Hill, NJ 07974


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	Chickpeas in Tamarind Sauce

2 20-oz cans chickpeas		or 4 cups cooked chickpeas with 1 cup liquid
2" ball tamarind pulp	[see note below]
1/2 cup light vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
dash chili powder
1 cup fresh chopped tomato
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 1/4 tsp garam masala	[see recipe below] 	or 1 tsp cinnamon
fresh coriander leaves (aka "cilantro")


1.  Put the tamarind pulp in a small bowl, add 1 1/2 cups boiling water,
    and let soak for 15 minutes.  Mash the pulp with your fingers or
    the back of a spoon.  Strain the liquid into another small bowl,
    squeezing the pulp as much as possible, and set aside.  Discard the
    fibrous residue.

2.  Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1 cup liquid.

3.  Tear off coriander leaves (discard the stems) and put in bowl
    of cool water.

4.  Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat.
    Add the onions and fry until they shrivel and turn caramel brown 
    (about 20 minutes), stirring constantly so they do not burn.  
    (Be especially careful during the last 5 minutes or so - the onions
    will burn almost instantly if you don't stir 'em.) 
    Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

5.  Add all spices except the garam masala, stir rapidly for a moment.
    Add the chopped tomatoes and ginger shreds.  Reduce heat to medium
    and cook until the oil begins to separate from the gravy (about
    5 minutes).

6.  Pour off any water standing on top of the tamarind juice.  Add
    the tamarind juice and the reserved chickpea liquid to the 
    tomato-spice gravy.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

7.  Add drained chickpeas and continue cooking for at least 10 minutes.
    (I put it on a *low* simmer for 30 - 45 minutes so.  This gives the
    chickpeas time to absorb more of the spice flavors).

8.  Drain and chop the coriander leaves.  Just before serving, stir in the 
    garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.  Serve with plain yogurt
    on the side.



	Garam Masala	(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp (about 20) black or 2 Tbsp (about 75) green cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks, 3 inches long
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds

1.  Break open cardamom pods.  Remove seeds and reserve.  Discard the skin.
    Crush cinnamon with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to break it into
    small pieces.
    
2.  Heat a heavy frying pan, preferably iron, for 2 minutes over medium heat.
    Add all spices and roast over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan
    constantly to prevent burning.  For the first minute or two, nothing will
    happen - the spices are losing their moisture during this time - and then
    all of a sudden they will start to brown.  This is a crucial period:  if
    you don't watch them carefully and stir them constantly, they will burn
    almost instantly.  As the spices brown they will begin to smoke, releasing
    the sweet fragrance of roasting spices.  Roast them until they turn dark
    brown, turning down the heat a little if they seem to be browning too 
    quickly.  The time will depend upon the amount of spice being roasted
    relative to the size of the pan - the larger the pan, the faster the 
    spices will brown.

3.  Take the browned spices out of the pan immediately and put them into a
    clean dry bowl to cool.  Once cool, grind them in a coffee mill,
    a spice mill or an electric blender.  Store in an airtight container
    in a cool, dry place.



Note:	Tamarind is the pulpy pod, resembling a pea pod, of the tropical 
	plant Tamarindus indica, native to India.  Tamarind pods, when fully
	mature, are plucked, peeled, and pitted, and the pulp is compressed
	into 'cakes'.  These cakes are available in Indian grocery stores.