RECIPE: Campfire Chickpea Curry

The base of the curry begins with diced onions, which get sauteed in oil until just beginning to brown. At this point, you will add all of the spices to toast them a bit, which will open up their flavors. Once the spices are fragrant, you can add in the coconut milk and tomato paste. Stir everything together until the tomato paste is completely blended into the coconut milk. Add a can of drained chickpeas, then simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to come together.

While the curry is cooking, you can prep your sides – see the serving suggestions below – as well as chop the cilantro and cut a lime into wedges.

Once the curry has thickened a bit, serve it over the rice with a squeeze of lime (a must!), chopped cilantro, and, optionally, a dollop of yogurt (dairy-free yogurt will keep this meal vegan, or Greek yogurt is a great option if you eat dairy).

You can bring pre-made rice from home and heat it in a small pot while the curry cooks (or add it directly into the curry towards the end to cut down on dishes to wash!) If you haven’t pre-prepared anything at home, you can make a portion of rice on the second burner of your camp stove. Alternatively, you could serve this curry with cauliflower rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ cayenne pepper, optional, omit for milder heat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• handful cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup yogurt, optional, plain dairy free or Greek

Instructions

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a pot over medium heat and add the onions, sautéing until translucent but not browning.

2. Add the Garam Masala, turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne, and stir briefly toast the spices so they become fragrant.
3. Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, and salt. Stir until the tomato paste is completely blended into the coconut milk, then add the chickpeas.
4. Cook over medium to med-low heat, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens to your liking – 10 or 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare your sides (see serving suggestions).
6. Serve the chickpea curry with a squeeze of lime, a dollop of yogurt (optional), and garnish with plenty of cilantro.

Notes

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. Rice can be made at home ahead of time and reheated, or cooked from scratch on the second burner of your stove.

Toasted naan is another great side – warm pre-made naan over the open flame of your stove or campfire, turning frequently with metal tongs until browned.