When I was in high school, I went through a phase in which I ate a giant bowl of chickpeas every day for lunch. Every. Single. Day. I’d put a light oil and vinegar dressing on them, and that’s it. My friends thought I was pretty weird at first, but then they all started doing it too—I started a chickpea trend.

I’m still pretty obsessed with chickpeas, which is why I usually have four or five cans of them in my kitchen at all times. A dinner staple of mine is chickpeas, sautéed onions, and raisins over couscous. It really is the best quick meal.

But this Wednesday night, I wanted something different and also something that would feed 11 people for a Welcome-back-to-Wesleyan dinner. I had my half-dozen cans of chickpeas and some tomatoes, so the solution was obvious: chana masala, arguably the best Indian dish ever (because it has chickpeas. Did I mention I like chickpeas?)

I used this recipe adapted from Epicurious.com. It originally served four, but I tripled it to feed the trillions of hungry people at my apartment. It might not replace my go-to chickpea-onions-raisin-couscous dinner, but I will certainly be making it again.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

two 15- to 16-once cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala or good-quality curry powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons grated fresh or jarred ginger

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Optional: a hot cooked grain (rice, quinoa, or couscous)

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.

2. Add the chickpeas, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, tomatoes, lemon juice, and about 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should be moist and stew-like, but not soupy; add a little more water if needed.

3. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve the dish on its own in shallow bowls or over a hot, cooked grain, if desired.