The Perfumist of Paris: Alka Joshi’s Chickpea Curry (Chole)
Since Radha, a young woman with a budding career as a perfumer in The Perfumist of Paris, has roots in both the East and the West, it was hard for me to decide which recipes to include in the novel. I could have shared the recipe for Coq au Vin or Sauteed Cod—the French know how to be delicate with fish dishes— or chicken steeped in rosemary and herbes de Provence, one of Pierre’s specialties. In the end, Eastern cuisine won out because it’s the most familiar to me.
I chose an easy and beloved Indian dish called chole or chana —the Hindi words for chickpeas. I loved creating the scene in which Radha’s daughters are helping her make chole; I was re-enacting the times I helped my mother make this curry. Cooked alongside other ingredients and flavorful spices, this legume provides such a scrumptious, hearty meal that you won’t even know you’re eating something that’s good for you —fiber, nutrients, and few calories. Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or meat lover, chickpeas satisfy.
Feel free to improvise this recipe for chole: you can add another vegetable to the dish. Maybe you’re partial to red pepper or potatoes. Cube your favorite veggie and put it in before you add the chole. Perhaps you love peas. Go for it! The beans can be cooked in water, coconut milk, or chicken broth. Each will provide a different flavor—with coconut milk being the richest. I prefer chicken broth because, well, I like chicken, and you could also add cooked chicken to the recipe!
Whatever you decide, there is no better garnish than fresh cilantro leaves. We experience the flavor of food not only through our noses —I learned that while researching The Perfumist of Paris— but also with our eyes. And the bright green fan of cilantro leaves contrasts so beautifully with the orange-yellow curry.
Bon appetit!
Alka Joshi
Book Club Buzz: author menu, note, and book giveaway
Also see Alka Joshi’s recipes for The Henna Artist (Royal Rabri) and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (Aloo Gobi Matar Subj
The Perfumist of Paris: Alka Joshi’s Chickpea Curry (Chole)
The chickpeas can be ladled over rice, as my mother used to do, or roll the delicious curry into a soft tortilla and enjoy.
My mother soaked whole garbanzo beans in water overnight to soften them, but I take the easy route: using cans of chickpeas from the grocer’s shelf!
Use water or chicken broth in place of coconut milk for a lighter curry. Coconut milk will provide the richest flavor. I prefer chicken broth because I like chicken—and you could also add cooked chicken to the recipe!
Feel free to improvise: you can add another vegetable to the dish. Maybe you’re partial to red pepper or potatoes. Cube your favorite veggie and put it in before you add the chole. Perhaps you love peas. Go for it!
- 3 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 16 ounces canned crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander (or, more cilantro leaves)
- 2–3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 1/ 2 cups water, coconut milk or chicken broth (see note)
- 32 ounces canned chickpeas, drained (see note)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- Rice, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, for serving (see note)
- In a deep skillet or large saucepan with a heavy bottom heat oil on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until they begin to sizzle. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and sautee until onions are translucent.
- Add cumin, turmeric, garam masala, coriander power, black pepper and salt, and mix until a spice paste forms. If the paste is too dry, add a little water. Add tomatoes to the spice paste, and stir. Add the coconut milk, water, or chicken broth and chickpeas. Stir, and turn heat to low. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the chickpeas are soft.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with rice, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers for a healthy, delicious meal.