Max’s Chickpea Curry

Max’s Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

Cardamom Rice

  • 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained (200 g)
  • 1 cup water (225 g)
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder
  • 2 pods green cardamom, cracked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon chicken powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Curry

  • 1 eggplant, 2 inch dice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Momofuku Tingly Seasoned Salt
  • 2 cans chickpeas, un-drained (15.5 fl oz)
  • 1 can coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 inches ginger, roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2½ tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons chicken powder or 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 3 teaspoons Momofuku Spicy Seasoned Salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • handful of parsley or cilantro
  • 2 cups chopped vegetables (optional): mix of cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, or tomatoes

    Max’s Chickpea Curry Content

    First, prepare rice. Rinse jasmine rice until water runs clear. Drain in a sieve and transfer to a heatproof wide bowl. 

    Now, we will make a steamer, but you can easily do this in a rice cooker instead if you have one.

    For steamer: set up a large pot or dutch oven that will hold the wide bowl with a heat-proof plate or cup that could hold the bowl of rice off the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients into a small pot and bring it up to a quick simmer, then pour into the bowl with the rice. Level out the mixture, and place bowl into the make-shift steamer that you created. Steam rice with a lid on for 35 to 40 minutes on low. When ready, fluff rice and remove cardamom pods and bay leaf.

     

    For rice cooker: add washed and drained rice, and all the rest of the ingredients into the rice cooker, mix and dissolve salt and chicken powder. Level out and turn on the rice cooker.

    While the rice steams, prepare the curry. Heat oven to 450°F. Mix the chopped eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Momofuku Tingly Seasoned Salt on a sheet pan and roast for approximately 8 minutes. You don’t need it to be cooked through. We just want some of the roasted flavor.

    Add oil to a large pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook until they are lightly browned. You want them to cook slowly. Add butter and melt. Add Momofuku Spicy Seasoned Salt, curry powder, remaining kosher salt, chicken powder, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant. Optional: add 2 cups of whatever chopped vegetables you have on hand—cauliflower, tomatoes, cabbage, potato, or squash. Or, if you want meat, add chopped chicken.

    Add chickpeas with the liquids and bring heat up to a boil. Lower heat and cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to lightly crush the chickpeas to thicken the curry. Add coconut milk and roasted eggplant and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

    Scoop onto Cardamom Rice and serve topped with chopped parsley or cilantro.