Yes! Chickpeas and cauliflower CAN taste amazing! We match this tasty little morsel with either a fresh glass of “off-dry” style Riesling or Gewurztraminer. The almost-sweet fruitiness balances the heat of the chilli and sourness from the tamarind. Cook, pour and enjoy!

CHICKPEA CURRY WITH CAULIFLOWER AND TAMARIND
3 large onions, two roughly chopped and one thinly sliced
2 – 3 tomatoes (approx 200g)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 small chillis
75ml olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander root
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 bay leaves (fresh if you can get them)
5 – 6 clove pieces
5 – 6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, drained (you can use the dry version, just follow the instructions on the pack for re-hydrating first)
500ml vegetable stock
Salt to taste
2 tbsp tamarind puree
1/2 cup cream
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, picked, chopped

1. Add the roughly chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillis to a small food processor, blend well and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy based saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add all of the spices and fry for a minute, or until fragrant (make sure you keep stirring at this stage because if the spices burn, the bitterness will go through the whole dish.)
3. Add sliced onion plus the tomato and onion mix to pan and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent (or till the oil starts to separate)
4. Add chickpeas, cauliflower and most of the vegetable stock, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Season with salt to taste (don’t be shy, this needs a fair bit of salt).
6. Take the lid off the pot for the last five minutes to allow to thicken, add more stock if it thickens too much.
7. Take off the heat and quickly stir in tamarind and cream, then check seasoning again, adjust if required. Just before serving, add coriander.

To serve: Serve with papadums, couscous, or rice and a big ol’ glass of wine!

VARIATION: For a vegan version, just leave out the cream!

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