so you're going vegan?- Spicy Indian Chickpeas

yesterday ry and i were talking about the needed changes to his diet. it kind of terrified me. no eggs, no dairy, and no red meats. the no red meat thing was okay with me, i could totally be a pescetarian but every once in a while i love a great burger. but no dairy and eggs?! oh my gosh i love butter and heavy cream- what is a home cook to do?

most of my friends & family know that i dislike hippies and the hippie way of life (the no shower, dreadlocks  and hug trees type of hippie). its too relaxing for me. that's why my sister (future nurse) tells me that i will probably die early of stress, but at least i accomplished a lot! kidding. 

the word vegan equaled hippie to me. but after watching forks over knives i have definitely changed my way of thinking. 

last night for dinner i made lucinda scala quinn's Spicy Indian Chickpeas. so good. its a great cheap dinner that fills you up. the spices really make the chickpeas so delicious and it is on the spicier side but paired with some avocado its just perfect. white rice is my favorite accompaniment to this dish but lucinda also recommended cucumber yogurt salad .

now don't worry, this is not a vegan blog! just a blog about our food adventures in a kitchen that seriously needs a facelift but we deal with it and still make tasty food. 

Spicy Indian Chickpeas
from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn

Yield
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), plus 1 small onion, sliced, for garnish
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
  • 1 3-inch-square piece of peeled fresh ginger, minced (3 tablespoons)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained (1 cup liquid reserved)
  • 1 large tomato, sliced in wedges, for garnishing
  • 3 hot fresh green chiles, sliced lengthwise and seeded, for garnishing

Directions

1. Heat large skillet and swirl in the oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute until soft and lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cloves, cayenne, and salt. Add to the onion mixture; cook and stir in the spices to lightly toast, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another few minutes to combine. The color should be dark red.
3. Add the chickpeas plus the cup of reserved liquid. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, removing the cover in the last few minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute to allow the beans to soak up the spice flavors. Season with salt to taste.
4. Serve in a shallow bowl garnished with the sliced onion, tomato wedges, and slices of green chiles.