Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Bowls

Happy Thursday, readers! I hope your short week has been productive! Mine certainly has been, so much so that I'm thinking that all work places should institute a 4-day work week as opposed to a 5. Think about it, your employees are happier because they only have to endure 4 days of work, they're not quite as burnt out by Friday and are more productive because there is less time during which to complete tasks! Makes sense, doesn't it?


Anyway, last Friday one of the younger attorneys at the office told me about a restaurant in downtown Raleigh that specializes in Moroccan and Indian foods called Garland. She told me to check out their online menu, so I did. They had quite the array of different options but what caught my eye was the Moroccan "Hummus". Why was hummus in quotation marks? Was it not really hummus? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?! Thankfully, this same attorney came by my desk later on and gave me a sample of the "hummus" and I will forever be in her debt - Sarah, you the real MVP.


The "hummus" was full of big flavor - cinnamon, coriander, chili, turmeric and I have no idea what else; the chickpeas were left whole and coated in a sort of tomato sauce and (according to their menu) also mixed with house-made crema. I NEEDED TO MAKE THIS AT HOME ASAP and thank you to Pinterest, I found a recipe to use as a guide (of course I did my own twists).


Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Bowls

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 C onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 14 oz cans chickpeas, drained
2 14 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes, not drained
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp Garam Masala (substitute recipe to follow)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 dash cinnamon
1 dash cayenne
Cooked rice or couscous (for serving)
1 cucumber, diced (for serving)
Lemon juice (for serving)
Plain Greek yogurt (for serving)
Fresh cilantro (for serving)
Fresh mint (for serving)


In a heavy Dutch oven, over medium heat, sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add in the chickpeas, spices, and tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes on low.


After your chickpea mixture is cooked through you're ready to build your bowl! I did a layer of rice and cucumbers, topped with chickpea mixture and liquid and garnished with lemon juice, fresh cilantro, fresh mint and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to tie everything together.


This meal was a cinch to make and VERY filling. I had one bowl-full and was stuffed for the rest of the night! This recipe yielded about 6 servings (or 2 Lindsey-appropriate servings and 2 Nate-appropriate servings).


Garam Masala Substitute


3 Tsp ground coriander (or whole seeds)
3 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tsp cumin
1 Tsp clove
1/2 Tsp cardamom
1/2 Tsp fresh ground black pepper


If you're like me and forgot to purchase Garam Masala, or your local grocer didn't carry it, fear not! This is a recipe I found online and while I'm not entirely sure how it compares to the original, it was delicious nonetheless.


In your trusty mortar and pestle (or spice grinder if you're fancy), grind your whole coriander until mostly pulverized. Mix in other spices.


Obviously this particular recipe only calls for a small amount of the spice mixture so save the rest in an air-tight container (another use for those empty baby food jars you have for some unknown reason!)


Enjoy the rest of your Thursday, readers! Stay tuned for some great fall recipes!