Braised indian chickpea stew

This Indian-inspired chickpea stew features lots of warming spices, chickpeas, cabbage, and carrots. Everything gets braised in the oven and the result is a rich and hearty yet wholesome stew that will satisfy the heartiest of appetites.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Roughly grind the whole spices. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds (not the cinnamon sticks) to a spice grinder or mortar or pestle. Coarsely grind (just a few pulses with an electric grinder) - you want some texture to remain. Remove the empty cardamom pod shells.
2. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
3. Heat a Dutch oven or stove-to-oven braising pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the roughly ground spices and the cinnamon sticks. Saute for
   60 seconds or until very fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Next, add the onions, carrots, and cabbage. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the vegetables start to soften,
   6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another
   2 minutes.
5. Add the tomato paste and stir frequently for
   2 minutes to coat everything. If things start to dry out or seem like they might burn, add a splash or two of water and scrape up the browned bits. Add in the Indian red chili powder, turmeric, and nutmeg, and stir frequently for
   1 minute.
6. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits and fond from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is mostly evaporated and the smell of alcohol has dissipated, about
   2 minutes.
7. Pour in the vegetable broth, chickpeas, bay leaves, raisins, tomatoes, and 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for
   2-3 minutes, stir again, and then turn off the heat.
8. Put the lid on the pan, or if it doesn't have a lid, cover tightly with foil. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and braise for
   1 hour, until the chickpeas and vegetables are soft.At the halfway mark, check to see if the liquid has evaporated somewhat. If so, add additional vegetable broth or water (about ¼ cup).
9. Pour in the coconut milk and return the pan to the oven to braise for another
   10 minutes. Take out of the oven and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks.
10. Stir in the garam masala, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as needed. If it's slightly too acidic, stir in a teaspoon or two of sugar.
11. Serve warm with Indian flatbread or over a bed of rice. Dollop on some vegan yogurt before serving or serve on the side.

Nutrition