Curry powder

1/2 large cinnamon stick, broken up a bit
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
1 teaspoon fenugreek
6  cloves
6 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Warm a heavy skillet over medium heat add cinnamon, coriander, cumin , black pepper, fenugreek, cloves and cardamom. Toast until fragrant, about 2 or 3 minutes. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder until fine. Transfer to a bowl and add turmeric,ginger and cayenne, mix well.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

I soaked 2 cups of chickpeas because I love having extra cooked ones around, I ate some for lunch with my usual condiments, flax, tamari etc. This time I added some black sesame gomasio, Kimchi from Hawthorn Valley farm and sunflower sprouts that I got at the market.Yum!

I couldn’t resist a quick trip just to see what I could add to these cakes that was local. To my delight I found Kira’s farm, Evolutionary Organics from New Paltz, NY and got some of these gorgeous garlic scapes and some lettuces for a simple green salad, because no meal is complete without greens!
If you don’t have scapes, garlic cloves are fine. This recipe made sixteen 2 inch patties and I was happily left with about a cup of chickpeas, you could easily add all of them and some extra seasoning.

Cilantro coconut chutney

3/4 cup dry coconut
1/2 large bunch cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped, about 4 cups
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Serrano chili, seeds removed and chopped
juice of 2 limes, mine were not that juicy
1 tsp honey or agave
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

Cover dry coconut with boiling water and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend, while motor is running, add enough reserved soaking liquid to get desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

Stored in a jar this will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

Cakes are cooling…..It’s been a busy afternoon and my spice drawer is still a mess, but there is no time to organize it now! Will be back with the recipe for the rice dish.

Chickpea cakes

2 cups dry chickpeas, 4 1/2 cups cooked (or three 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
2 inch piece kombu (for cooking chickpeas)
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more sautéing cakes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic scapes, or 3 garlic cloves
large pinch sea salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, see above
2 tablespoons chickpea cooking liquid or water

Cover dry chickpeas with plenty of filtered water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse then place in a pressure cooker or heavy pot. If using a pressure cooker cover with 1 inch of filtered water add kombu. Bring to a boil, scoop off any foam that rises to the surface and cover. Once pressure is at it’s highest, lower heat and cook for 30 minutes. 
Allow pressure to release, drain chickpeas, reserving a little cooking liquid and set aside to cool.

If you’re not using a pressure cooker go get one!…no, in the heavy pot mentioned above, cover chickpeas with 3 or 4 inches of water, add kombu and bring to a boil. Scoop off any foam that rises to the surface. Lower heat and cover. Make sure chickpeas stay simmering, cook until tender about 1 hour. Drain as above and set aside 4 1/2 cups to cool, you may have a little extra.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast mustard seeds, shaking pan until they begin to pop. Set aside to cool. In the same skillet add olive oil and sauté onions. Finely chop the garlic scapes /or mince garlic cloves, add to the onions along with the salt. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes or until scapes are tender and onions are golden brown. Stir in curry powder. Add chickpeas to the skillet and use a potato masher to combine with onions, mix until most of the chickpeas are mashed. Add some cooking liquid if mix is too stiff or dry. Stir in mustard seeds and taste for salt. Shape into 2-inch cakes, using a 1/4 cup measure and put in the fridge while you clean up, they firm up a lot when completely cold. In that same skillet heat a thin film of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook cakes until golden brown on each side.