Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for tamarind chickpeas with cavolo nero

Tamarind chickpeas – a little sweet, a little sour – are my absolute favourite, and I never run out of ways to cook them. This version is simply boosted with chilli, cumin and sugar, so there’s no long list of spices, either. Fresh tomatoes and cavolo nero add plant points and interest, while pickled pink onions bring crunch and sharpness. If you want a quick, 30-minute curry, make this with jarred chickpeas; if you’re using tinned, cook them for longer and with more boiling water, because they need more time to soak up the flavours.

Tamarind chickpeas with cavolo nero and pink pickled onions

Scoop this up with flatbreads or, even better, cooked-from-frozen Shana parathas. If you aren’t already hoarding a stash in your freezer, they’re readily available online, and from major supermarkets and Asian grocery shops.

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2-3 generously

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
200g vine cherry tomatoes, halved
350g jarred chickpeas (ie, ½ standard 700g jar), drained, or 400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
50g tamarind paste (not tamarind concentrate – this is important)
150g cavolo nero, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tbsp dark brown sugar, or date syrup
1 tsp tomato paste
Flatbreads, parathas or rice, to serve
Yoghurt, to serve

For the pickled onions
½ red onion, very finely sliced
Juice of ½ lime
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp chilli flakes

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wide, shallow saucepan (you want as big a surface area at the base of the pan as possible, so the liquid reduces quickly). Add the cumin seeds, fry for 30 seconds on a low heat, then stir in the onion, turn up the heat to medium, and stir-fry for six to seven minutes, until just turning golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions. Blanch the sliced red onion in a bowl of boiling water for a minute, then drain and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water, then put in a bowl, stir in the lime juice, sea salt and chilli flakes, and set aside.

Back to the frying pan. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes to the onion mix and stir-fry for three minutes, just to soften the tomatoes. Add the chickpeas, tamarind paste, 300ml boiling water (if using tinned chickpeas, add 500ml), cavolo nero, sea salt, sugar and tomato paste, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the liquid has almost completely reduced and is just clinging to the chickpeas (this will take longer with tinned ones). Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Serve hot topped with the pickled onions, and with flatbreads, parathas or rice, and yoghurt alongside. Any leftovers are a wonderful addition to a masala cheese toastie.