In places like Jamaica and Trinidad, curry is eaten year-round despite their hot climates, so yes, curry is a food that can be enjoyed and even sought after in the blistering heat of the summer. It is too delicious to pass up and makes for the perfect weeknight treat. It keeps so well, which is why it is on my regular roster of dishes I make. This curry is well seasoned and benefits from a long simmer. The longer, the better, in my opinion. Of course, there is a recipe for delicious roti to go with this curry and it is truly a match made in heaven. I added spinach near the end of the cooking to add more greens to this curry but that is optional. Check this recipe out if you are looking for a filling, flavourful, accidentally vegetarian/vegan meal to get you through your week.
Curried Channa and Roti
Ingredients
Curry
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons cumin seed
- 2 cans of chickpeas 540 mL
- 1 1/2 onion sliced
- 1 large tomato diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 6 green onion stalks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable stock or water
- 2 habanero pepper minced
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi fenugreek
- 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 large bag spinach optional
Roti
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ghee butter or oil
- 1 1/4 cup warm water or slightly more
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup ghee butter or oil
Instructions
Curry
- Place a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium heat.
- Add your vegetable oil, cumin seeds, allspice berries, bay leave and sauté until fragrant.
- Add your sliced onions and sauté for about 3 minutes until wilted.
- Add your diced green onion stalks and sauté until all the veggies, start to brown and come together nicely.
- Add your grated ginger, minced garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add your diced tomato and sauté for 5 minutes until tomato becomes mushy and liquid reduces.
- Add your diced carrot and sauté for 3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Add your seasoning like paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric and sauté for 3 minutes, scraping bottom so it does not burn. Season with about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper.
- Add your tablespoon of Jamaican curry powder, mix and add your drained chickpeas, as well as your minced habanero pepper.
- Follow the chickpeas with 3 cups of water or your veggie stock. You want the chickpeas to be just submerged.
- Simmer on low for an hour to and hour and a half, stirring periodically so it does not burn. You want your chickpeas to become nice and soft. While stirring use the back of the spoon to break down some of the chickpeas so their starches release and thicken your curry.
- Keep adding water as necessary but near the end of cooking, after about 45 minutes, add one can of coconut milk and mix in.
- Simmer until reduced and finish your curry with a sprinkle of garam masala and kasuri methi. Taste and season with more salt if necessary at this point.
- Now, you may also add your large bag of baby spinach or regular sized spinach chopped into smaller pieces. You can remove your stems or keep it on. Just mix into your curry and let simmer for about 2 minutes until spinach is wilted.
- Stir to get all the spices and spinach mixed in and serve your curry hot with roti or rice.
Roti
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Then make a well then add oil, followed by warm water, knead dough for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to form soft and sticky dough.
- Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Set aside and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.
- The resting of the dough helps to relax the gluten and make it not only easier to work with but also produces tender paratha.
- Place each piece on a floured board and roll out dough into a circle. They do not have to be perfect circles.
- Using your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter (on the surface of the dough, lightly sprinkle with flour).
- Using a knife, make a cut from the centre of the dough to the outside. Roll dough clockwise to form a cone.
- Push cone tip inwards. Place on an oil plate and cover with a damp cloth.
- Repeat this process for other 5 pieces of dough. Oil each piece to prevent dough from drying out and let rest for about 2 hours or more covered.
- When ready to cook, heat up cast iron, griddle or pan to medium heat. Gently flatten out each cone and roll it out.
- Rotate the dough each time you roll it. Try and aim for about 10 inch circles, make sure they are thin at the edges. Gently place dough on the griddle, a large frying pan, or skillet will work as well.
- Heavily oil the other side of the dough making sure you oil the edges too. Cook until tiny bubbles/air pockets appear on the top of the roti, then flip dough.
- You can choose to “buss it up” as it is traditionally served in places like Trinidad, using tongs to vigorously clamp the roti together to tatter it and show the layers of dough. Or you can serve it intact.
- Serve warm with curry.
