eastern comfort

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind I’m talking about, I bet. They take on a different character for everyone, but here’s the gist of it: outside, the skies are often blankly gray and rainy (and you’ve forgotten your umbrella); at work or school, you’re caught unprepared by a confusing assignment or unexpected deadline; there’s usually a bad hair day and/or ugly outfit involved. And the kicker? The harder you try to rise above it all, the worse things get.

Those days are built for comfort food. And on this front, I know that you know what I’m talking about. Macaroni and cheese, baked until bubbling and topped with breadcrumbs. Those world’s-best chocolate chip cookies, warm from the oven and big as hockey pucks, chock-full of thin chocolate disks and sprinkled with sea salt. Oh—and canned chickpeas! Those’ll dry your tears before you can say chana punjabi.

I know what you’re probably thinking: Huh? Canned chickpeas are virtuous and packed with protein, but are hardly known as the stuff of mood-lifting comfort fare. And I certainly understand the impulse to recharge with tried-and-true American favorites; after a long week at work, I’m more likely to go out for a burger than Vietnamese food. But once you’ve made this chickpea dish, your wariness will evaporate. You see, this Indian recipe asks you to simmer chickpeas for an hour in a smooth, spicy, ginger-infused tomato sauce, until the legumes are tender and have taken on the warm essence of garam masala. It will fill your belly, and soon you won’t be able to stop making it, bad day or not.

I could go on—telling you, for instance, that I make this Eastern comfort constantly (it brightens up my brown-bag lunches almost every other week), or that I’ve almost forgotten about macaroni and cheese. But please, just take my word for it. I’ve had one of those days, you know?

CHANA PUNJABI
Serves 4
Adapted from Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez, via The Wednesday Chef

Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
- cooked rice (for serving)

Preparation:
1) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño, and sauté 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup of water, and cook an additional 5 minutes; tomatoes should be very soft.
2) Purée tomato mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan over low heat, and stir in salt, spices, and lemon juice until thoroughly blended. Add chickpeas, bring sauce to a simmer, then cover saucepan.
3) Let simmer for 45 minutes or an hour, adding 1/4 cup water and stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sauce from burning.
4) Remove pan from heat, stir in minced cilantro and serve over cooked rice. Leftovers—if there are any!—will make a perfect, satisfying lunch, straight from the fridge.