Fried Cheese and Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy

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Fried Cheese and Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy

Fried cheese becomes a main meal in this pantry-reliant dish. Make it with your choice of ‘fry-able’ cheese, one with a high melting point that retains its shape after cooking. Halloumi and paneer are excellent choices, but queso blanco and queso de freir are often less expensive, but just as delicious. (Note: Halloumi is saltier than most frying cheeses so use less salt.) The trick to frying cheese without it sticking is to use a hot skillet, but if you’re not confident, opt for non-stick. This dish can easily be adapted for vegans by substituting the cheese with extra-firm tofu.

Rating

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil or ghee
  • 10ounces frying cheese (such as queso de freir, queso blanco, halloumi or paneer), cut into 1/4 inch slices and patted dry
  • 1yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (use ½ teaspoon if using halloumi)
  • 1/2teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1(28-ounce) can diced, puréed or crushed tomatoes
  • 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
  • Handful of cilantro leaves
  • Flatbread or rice, to serve
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

Heat a large (12-inch skillet) on medium-high until very hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee and swirl it around to coat the base. Add the cheese and fry until golden, 1 to 1½ minutes. Flip and cook the other side. Transfer the cooked cheese to a plate and set aside.

Place the same pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or ghee, along with the onions and stir until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, cumin and cinnamon and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, sugar, tomatoes and chickpeas and stir well to combine.

Cover and cook on medium, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary, until the tomatoes have thickened up, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if required.

Place the cheese on top of the sauce, and cook just until warmed through, 2 minutes.

To serve, top with cilantro and serve with flatbread or rice.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 90 gramsCalories: 1079Saturated Fat: 23 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 61 gramsSodium: 1113 milligramsSugar: 15 gramsFiber: 12 gramsCarbohydrate: 47 gramsProtein: 28 grams

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024010-fried-cheese-and-chickpeas-in-spicy-tomato-gravy