Trinidadian Curry Channa and Aloo: 30-Minute Chickpea and Potato Dinner

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium and cook the onion for 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook one minute more.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Trinidadian or Madras curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground geera (roasted cumin)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lb waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero, left whole and unpierced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more to finish
• Warm roti or flatbread, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium and cook the onion for 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook one minute more.
2. Stir the curry powder, geera and turmeric into a small bowl with three tablespoons of water to make a loose paste, which keeps the spices from scorching.
3. Pour the paste into the pot and let it fry hard for 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the oil separates and the mixture smells toasted rather than dusty. This step, called burning the curry, is the difference between good and forgettable.
4. Add the chickpeas and potatoes and stir until every piece is coated in the deep gold masala.
5. Pour in the water, tuck in the whole chili and the thyme sprigs, add the salt, and bring to a boil.
6. Lower to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, pressing a few chickpeas against the side of the pot halfway through so their starch thickens the gravy.
7. Fish out the chili and thyme stems once the potatoes yield easily to a fork and the sauce clings rather than pools.
8. Stir in the cilantro off the heat, taste for salt, and serve with warm roti for scooping. It reheats better than it cooks, so make it Sunday and eat it Wednesday.
9. Curry channa and aloo is Trinidad's everyday cooking at its most efficient: two pantry staples, one pot, and a spice technique that does all the heavy lifting. Leaving the scotch bonnet whole is deliberate, lending its floral perfume to the gravy without any of its heat, and it is lifted out before anyone can burst it. Doubles Sunday morning, dinner Tuesday night, lunch Thursday, the same pot keeps showing up in different forms all week.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 430 kcal
• Protein: 15g
• Fat: 13g
• Carbohydrates: 63g
• Fiber: 14g
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 780mg