This flavorful meal is the perfect pantry meal for a cozy day. Protein-packed chickpeas, creamy coconut milk, and warm spices come together to make this stew a family favorite!

This recipe is based on butter chicken (Murgh Makhani), a dish that originated in Delhi (Northern India) in 1948. The curry was made “by chance” by Kundan Lal Gurjal by mixing leftover chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter and cream.

Prep time 10 min | Cook time 45 min | Total time 55 min | Yield: 6 servings of 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Add the rice and 4 cups water to a saucepan. Cover with a lid, place the pot over high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the heat off, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, undisturbed, with the lid in place. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
2. Wash the onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
3. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Roughly chop the cilantro.
4. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Melt the butter. Once the butter is hot, stir in the onion and ½ tsp salt, and cook until golden brown around the edges, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. (Don’t turn the heat up to medium-high; it is easy for the butter to burn.)
5. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the cumin, paprika, garam masala, and cinnamon stick, and cook 1 minute more.
6. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. With a large spoon, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot. Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in the chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
8. Serve over rice and top with cilantro.

Recipe adapted from the New York Times Butter Chickpeas. 

We demonstrate how to make Butter Chickpeas in this Cooking Matters at Home virtual class video. Try it yourself and tell us about it in the comments!