Named as such because the chickpeas are so meltingly creamy, this is a recipe inspired by a chickpea curry I had from Afghan Sufra in Lakemba, an area of Sydney known for its wonderful Middle Eastern and sub-continental food scene. I’m obsessed!
Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry
Today’s recipe is inspired by a chickpea curry I had from a casual eatery called Afghan Sufra in Lakemba. Known for its authentic Afghan food, I was drawn in by the smell of smoky grilled meats and walked out with a generous spread of takeaway – for research, of course!
In amongst the loot was a chickpea curry that came with a gigantic flatbread – incredible value at $10, enough to feed two generously, if not three. I enjoyed the flavour of it so much I became fixated on recreating it. And here it is!
Why I love this Afghan chickpea curry so much
To be honest, throughout the creation process, the recipe diverged from the original – my sauce is thicker rather than watery, I use less oil, and I cheat with canned chickpeas so I can make it on demand. But the spirit of the Afghan flavours are there, and distinguishable from other generic curries (you know what I mean!)
You’ll love how the sauce is thickened naturally using dried lentils cooked until they break down, and the neat trick to make the chickpeas beautifully creamy with just a pinch of baking soda. Two tricks I learnt from this Parkistani Lahori Chanay recipe from Sugar Spice & More on which this recipe is based. Though, the spicing ratios I created with reference to the chickpea curry in Parwana, a wonderful Afghan cookbook by Durkhanai Ayubi, and many “debates” with JB (see FAQ below for tales!).
I know this is a weird photo, but it’s my attempt at proof of creamy chickpeas – so soft you can “smear” them with the back of a spoon:
Ingredients in Afghan chickpea curry
Here’s what you need to make this. Just drop by your local grocery store!
1. THE Spices
Because we’re using a combination of spices, it means you can substitute and still end up with a tasty meal, even if the flavour is not exactly what it was intended to be. Handy!
Cinnamon sticks (oops, photo below! 🙂 )- Sticks rather than powder sort of perfumes sauces in a more delicate way, especially when you toast it in the oil like we do here. If you don’t have sticks, cinnamon powder can be used instead. Just add it with the other powdered spices.
Coriander and cumin powder – One of these can be substituted with either Garam Masala (better) or curry powder (like Clives, Keens – just regular western brands). If you do both though, it’s too much.
Cardamom powder and ground cloves – One of these can be substituted with all spice or mixed spice.
Turmeric powder – Substitute with a small amount of saffron powder (imitation is fine) plus ginger powder.
Note: I’ve seen versions of Afghan curries call for whole rather than ground cardamom and cloves. But for the sake of convenience and to make this midweek friendly, I’ve opted for powder. Picking out little cardamom pods and cloves or fiddling with spice sachets is beyond my reach on Mondays! Cinnamon sticks though, we can manage. 🙂
2. THE CURRY
Dried red split lentils – Red lentils cook faster than other types, and split red lentils cook even faster (because they are literally the lentils split in half). They only take 10 minutes to cook but we deliberately overcook them here with a total simmer time of 45 minutes so they breakdown and thicken the sauce naturally.
See expandable box below for using other types of dried lentils / split peas.
Chickpeas – I use canned for convenience, as I’ve been making this as a mid-weeker. To use dried, use 1 1/2 cups (250g), once cooked this equates to around 3 cans of chickpeas.
Baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) – The magic ingredient that makes these chickpeas meltingly tender and creamy inside! It’s magical. 🙂 We only use 1/4 teaspoon in a giant pot of curry, a tiny amount you won’t be able to taste.
Ghee – A clarified butter commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking for its rich buttery flavour and high smoke point. Sold at large grocery stores here in Australia these days. Substitute in a pinch with butter or coconut oil.
Ginger and garlic – Fresh, for maximum flavour impact! Finely grated.
Bay leaves – Preferably fresh though dry is totally fine.
Vegetable stock – The liquid for simmering. I tried with water and it was ok…..but I felt it was missing body.
Other types of dried lentils / split peas
Other types of dried lentils/split peas take longer to cook but can be used. Adjust the recipe as follows:
Dried yellow lentils (split or whole), whole red lentils – increase lid on simmer time from 15 minutes to 30 minutes*
Dried yellow split peas, green lentils, green split peas: increase lid on simmer time by 30 minutes to 45 minutes*
Canned lentils – haven’t tried though I know it won’t be quite the same, it should work: drain, add with chickpeas (ie skip the entire lid-on simmer step).
Not suitable (they don’t break down or will take too long): French lentils (puy lentils), whole dried peas
* These are the times for the lentils to cook, you still need to add the 30 minute chickpea cooking time to let the lentils breakdown.
How to make Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry
A nice, straightforward recipe. There’s a total simmer time of 45 minutes but it’s low maintenance, you don’t need to worry about stirring.
Toast cinnamon sticks – Melt the ghee (or butter) then toast the cinnamon sticks. This brings out the flavour and flavours the ghee too.
Sauté – Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Keep it moving so the garlic and ginger doesn’t catch.
Spices and lentils – Next, add the spices and toast them for 30 seconds, then in go the lentils. Stir to coat them in all the tasty spice flavour. Right about now, you know you’re onto something really tasty!
Simmer lentils – Add the stock and salt. Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Chickpeas – Then add the chickpeas, water and bakings soda. Simmer for a further 30 minutes with the lid off.
Ready to serve! During this second simmer time, the baking soda will work its magic and turn the chickpeas into the most creamy chickpeas you’ve ever had, and the lentils will breakdown to thicken the sauce. It will be like a thick soup consistency, not as thick as the sauce of popular Indian curries, like butter chicken. But it shouldn’t be watery – if it is, just keep simmering
Then, it’s ready to serve!
What to serve with this Afghan chickpea curry
Serve in a bowl next to a steamy mound of basmati rice (I put it on the side rather than on top because the sauce is runnier than creamy curries). Or in a bowl like a hearty stew with flatbreads for dunking.
If you can find traditional Afghan flatbreads, lucky you! Especially the giant ones the size of small yoga mats – everybody loves ripping into them! Ryde locals – find them at Bahar Persian Food, Paradise Supermarket and 32 Bakehouse on Church Street. Excellent value ($6 for 2 big breads around 60cm/2 feet round), freezes perfectly.
Else – anything dunk-able will suffice, like shop bought Lebanese bread, flatbreads, or make your own. I promise this will still be one of the most fabulous chickpea curries you’ve had in a very long time. 🙂 Just wait until you experience those creamy chickpeas! – Nagi x
Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry FAQ
Because the chickpeas are so soft and creamy thanks to a neat little trick of adding a smidge of baking soda! Such a small amount you can’t taste it. The chickpeas hold their shape but when you eat them, they are beautifully creamy, but not mushy.
I’ve seen this before in hummus and tips for cooking dried chickpeas, I just never thought to use it in a curry like this.
4 to 5 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
Yes, see ingredients section for directions for adjusting the simmer time (I use red split lentils because they cook so quickly – 10 minutes, then I cook for an extra 35 minutes to make them break down so they thicken the sauce).
This is such a great one to showcase how I incorporate inspiration, recipe references and work with JB to create recipes that we share!
As I mentioned in the post, I enjoyed a chickpea curry from a place called Afghan Sufra in Lakemba which is known for serving authentic Afghan food. Truthfully, I love the spicing – it’s subtly different from Indian curries – but I thought the sauce was a bit thin compared to other Afghan curries I’ve had (I loved Sahar in Newport when I lived in the Northern Beaches) and it was oilier than I like for Monday night cooking.
In hunting for a recipe to use as a base, I came across this Pakistani Lahori Chanay recipe from Sugar Spice & More. Followed it mostly but tweaked the spices to what I thought I could taste in the Afghan Sufra one, thickened the sauce a touch more using more lentils, used stock instead of water, and other minor changes. Version 1 was tasty, but not quite what I was aiming for, it tasted more like a generic curry that could be from “anywhere”.
Made it again referencing the spices used in the chickpea curry in Parwana, a wonderful Afghan cookbook by Durkhanai Ayubi, Afghan refugee turned Australian restauranteur. Thought it was closer, so I took some into work for JB to try.
From there, we batted back and forth a few times trying to align the flavours closer to the source dish (we did another run to pick up more to taste and compare). And honestly, by the end, it came down to tweaking some spices up or down by 1/4 teaspoon.
All up, I made this one maybe 3 times by myself, JB made it around 3 times at work, then I filmed it and today we made it again to photograph it. Recipes like this are pretty “low effort” in the scheme of things because it’s something I’m happy to make on Monday nights, just “playing around”.
And even when it’s not exactly what I was aiming for, the results were always still very, very tasty – and never short of willing recipients for leftovers!
The final version I’m sharing today is not an exact replica of the original inspiration but to me, it is respectful of traditional Afghan flavours. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Watch how to make it
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Melting Afghan chickpea curry
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ghee , substitute unsalted butter or coconut oil (for vegan)
- 2 cinnamon sticks (sub 1/2 tsp powder, add with other spices)
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp grated garlic
- 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh else dried
- 1/2 cup dried red split lentils (Note 1)
- 1 cup water
- 1 litre vegetable stock , low sodium
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 3 x 400g/14oz cans chickpeas , drained (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda / bi-carbonate soda (makes chickpeas creamy, optional)
Spices (Note 3):
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Serving:
- Basmati rice and/or Afghan bread (Note 4), or other flatbread
- Yogurt (I like to slightly thin with water so it can be drizzled)
- Fresh coriander / cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
Instructions
- Sauté – Melt the ghee in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon and toast for 30 seconds. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and bay leaves. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent (stir regularly so the garlic & ginger don't catch).
- Spices and lentils – Add the Spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lentils and stir to coat in the spices.
- Simmer lentils – Add the stock and salt. Stir, bring to a simmer. Lower the head to medium, put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Simmer chickpeas – Add the chickpeas, water and baking soda. Increase the heat to make it simmer again. Then lower the stove slightly and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes without a lid or until the lentils mostly broken down to make a thin gravy (you can cook an extra 10 minutes to thicken more if you want).
- Serve with rice on the side and Afghan or other flatbreads for dunking, drizzled with yogurt and sprinkled with fresh coriander if you want (I do).
Recipe Notes:
- Either coriander or cumin with curry powder or Garam Masala
- Cardamom or cloves – all spice or mixed spice
- Turmeric – 1/4 tsp imitation saffron powder plus 1/2 tsp ginger powder
Life of Dozer
Director Dozer. He doesn’t realise it’s vegetarian. He didn’t use to care but these days he does, he only gets up when it’s “worth it”. 😂
Oh – he determined that this was definitely worth it. 🤣
I agree with you Nagi.
You did the right thing.
Good luck for the book awards this week. I will be cheering for you.
Some good news for you your book’s lVietnamese chicken recipe has been raved over by everyone I have cooked it for. So easy to do plus the coconut rice to go with it.
Received your “Dinner” recipe book for my birthday this weekend – couldn’t be more stoked!!
Sending you lots of love and well wishes from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦
Love your recipes and hugely admire your integrity. A very talented, warm hearted lady who is bravely standing up for what is right.
Stay strong and look after yourself.
Best wishes from the UK
All power to you Nagi! Sending huge hugs! Thank you for sharing, this looks scrumdiddelyumptious! I was planning to make your Chilli Con Carne today and I am going to make this instead and I can’t wait!
Hi Ali, thank you for your message and let us know how the curry goes 🙂
Thank you for sharing! We support you, your team, and adorable sweet Dozer 🙂 You are so giving in all that you do and your recipes are made from love…we can taste it in every bite 🙂 You got this!! Sending our love and most sincere thanks for all you do! Xoxo
Love you Nagi. You have been our families best friend for years. Takes courage to take on the big guys but so necessary. ❤️
Can’t wait to make this. I worked in Afghanistan for a few years and really enjoyed the food (there were a few exceptions). Surprisingly distinct from South and West Asia. Thinking through the flavours in your recipe, I have high hopes that this will take me back to happy times. Thank you for being so rigorous with the trialling and for navigating the obstacles recently exposed in the media. Stay strong. Those of us who follow you (and Dozer) know. We’ve got your back!
Hi Nagi and Dozer, so happy to see your recipe come through and pics of you and Dozer. Supporting you 100%💕..this recipe looks yum. Will definitely try this month. Take care of yourself and the beautiful boy! Janny.
5 stars in advance ’cause I can smell the deliciousness as I read. Just sent off my supermarket delivery order so will have to go back in for more chick peas and ginger. So hungry for this tomorrow. Nagi as hard as it is put the whole ghastly recipe pinching thing to the back of your mind for now. If needed you have a massive army ready to wave around their wooden spoons.
Next up for my vegan daughter….Might even have a go!
Is it possible to submit a slow cooked winter penguin stew?
Beautiful dish & perfect for my gluten and dairy free celiac dad.
Do look after yourself whilst standing up for ethics. Bailey (the bulldozer) pup and I have got your back xxx
Hi Nagi. I do hope you are okay. Just know we love you and you have our full support always. xx
Haven’t made this yet but I’m salivating just reading it. I’m making this next up!
Also, my mum (Greek background) would soak the dry chick peas in water overnight and then she would throw out the water and give a quick gentle rub of the chickpeas with bicarb soda. about half a teaspoon (she never used measures, lol) Leave it for approx 5 or so minutes and then she would give the chick peas a good rinse.
She said it made them softer and easier on the stomach but she’d always say to me, “Make sure you give them a good rinse or they’ll froth as they boil.” Like you, I’ll be using tin ones as well.
Hugs to you dear Nagi and thanks for another yummy recipe! xx
Thank you Sev for your lovely words and thank you for sharing your mom’s secret 🙂
This is exactly what I was looking for this week. A bit cheating to comment before trying it, but I know it will be good. Love your work, Nagi
Thanks for your kind words Kathryn 🙂 let us know how it goes!
Come back and tell me what you think if you make it! N x
sorry you have been through such a horror week. Just please remember that we are all there with you, and Dozer, of course.
Thank you Robyn, I appreciate your kind words – N x
Love you Nagi. I’m a professional trained chef of nearly 30 years and you have made me keep a passion about cooking that I sort of lost somewhere during life’s up and downs.
I love hearing that. I’ve been through that myself in the past few years. I know what you mean about finding the passion again during those times. It’s always been different things for me that fired me up again. – N x
I had this for lunch today as I have a stash in the freezer from when you shared the recipe on Facebook, it is so bloody delicious!
Take care of yourself Nagi, you bring joy to a lot of people through not just your recipes but your humble, generous and kind nature – and now also by standing up for what’s right!
Oh yay!! You saw the sneak peek 🙂 The recipe has been tweaked a bit – the spices. But still similar! Glad you enjoyed it! – N x
I actually didnt cook this recipe…I love all your recipes and if I knew voodoo….you know would be on my list…..Keep up the great work…if you succumb to “them”,,,,who do we have left….we all love and support you you…..and well Dozer of course!!!
Hope you get a chance to make it! It really is terrific, I think 🙂 I mean, JB signed off on it! 😂 – N x
Nagi, you are an absolute gem, very rare these days. Thinking of you during this trying time where you have and alway do the right thing. Does this “other person”! Do what you do, feed the hungry? They definitely do not have the big heart that you do. Love and light to you 🙏
Thanks Carol. I’m no angel by any stretch of the imagination, that’s for sure! But I would not have made such a serious statement without having grounds for it and believing it was the only way forward. – N x
Nagi – it is truly great to see you here. Have been ‘with you’ every day – all that for the future! This is a super, filling and exciting dish to teach us. Such healthy proteins presented in an exciting way. Don’t think I can reach Afghani bread here in the country but am a flatbread freak, so shall find an accompaniment! No problems with the spices – just have to learn in what proportion. Shall repost this beauty tomorrow ! Dozer – hmm, MOTHER – that is an awfully big chop 🙂 !!!
Ha ha! I don’t think Dozer found the size of that chop daunting at all 😂