Spiced Yogurt with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

This cooling and refreshing dish is a perfect light patio lunch for warm weather on its own or a nice counterpoint to a spicy meal, such as when I served it with a very hot spiced urad dal rice. Even if not for the pleasing taste, the aroma of dry roasted ground cumin — which I substituted for whole seeds — is worth the very small effort of putting this together.

Spiced Yogurt with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on July 4, 2008 Refreshing dish of chickpeas served in a creamy spiced tomato yogurt — simple and cooling on a warm summer day Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1-inch piece cinnamon stick 8 whole cloves 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 cups plain whole fat yogurt 2 small tomatoes, diced 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the chickpeas are tender but not falling apart. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid (or the liquid from the can if using). Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan over just less than medium heat. Toss in the ground cumin and dry roast, stirring, until the cumin darkens a couple of shades and acquires a toasted fragrance. Take out of the pan and set aside in a small bowl to cool slightly. Return the cooking liquid from the chickpeas to the saucepan and bring to a boil (if using liquid from a can of cooked chickpeas, add another 1/2 cup of water). Tie the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, black peppercorns, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a cheesecloth bundle. Put the bundle in the water, toss in half a teaspoon of the salt, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and bring the liquid back to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let the chickpeas cool in the liquid. Drain the chickpeas and discard the cheesecloth bundle. Whisk the yogurt in a large bowl until smooth. Combine the chickpeas, tomatoes and parsley with the yogurt. Stir in the roasted ground cumin, cayenne, and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Makes 3 to 4 servings