Pepper and Onion Roast with Soft Indian Spices


I love the sound of "soft indian spices."  It makes me think of ornate fabrics of complimentary colors like pink and orange.  It makes me want to snuggle.  The idea of the title, according to Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift in their rightly lauded The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, is that the spices here are not overpowering.  But they are flavorful.  And they don't elicit snuggling, they elicit diving.  They lead to the kind of ravenous eating in silence that proves you're both comfortable with the food and with the company.

So this is a good dish to share.  It made me feel appreciative.  When is the last time you can say that about your dinner?  Actually, I can think of one more time, but it hasn't been posted yet, so you'll have to wait and see.  Soon, darlings, soon.

But in the meantime:



Pepper and Onion Roast with Soft Indian Spices

3 large cloves of garlic
2 tightly packed tablespoons of cilantro
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 large yellow bell peppers, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 large or 2 medium red onions, chopped
1 cup tightly packed arugula
One 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons lime juice
Generous pinch of sugar
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

To Finish (all are optional)
Lime juice
Cilantro leaves
Plain yogurt

Preheat the oven to 450, and put a large shallow pan (like a baking tray) onto the middle rack.  The pan will preheat with the oven.

In a food processor, combine the garlic, cilantro and ginger and process until fine, but not pureed.  

In a large bowl, combine this mixture with all of the other ingredients except for the finishing elements.  Toss to mix.  Carefully spread the mixture in the pan which is already in the oven.  Roast for 40 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom.  The peppers should be tender, and the chickpeas should be crisp.

Transfer the roast to a serving bowl and top with the finishing elements.  Serve.

Comments

Dewi said…
Looks so scrumptious and delicious. I love the arugula too, it must amazing combine with the rest of ingredients and the Indian spices.
Cheers,
Elra
Anonymous said…
Beautiful colors! And i love those plates :)
Dana Treat said…
Put chickpeas in anything and I am an instant fan. But pair them with these flavors and I will probably eat the whole bowl! So glad to know that there are yummy veg recipes in that book. It's only my list.
Snooky doodle said…
nice recipe! I love indian spices.
Maia said…
"soft indian spices" is a phrase that should be used more often. Delightful! I think the description of a dish is an important part of the package. One needs to use all the senses for appreciating a wonderful dish - scent, sight, touch, taste, and of course the intellect as well!
Maia said…
By the way, I don't often see descriptors used for spices this way, but it's useful - because spices do have different and unique characters.
I just bought a bag of course pink Himalayan salt at the spice shop today that has a very unique character. Something to think about.
Anonymous said…
I have all the ingredients for this! I love the idea of roasting everything and the colors are gorgeous.
Anonymous said…
Hi Andrea :-)

Nice blog you have here! I'm very jealous of my brother who probably taste all the recipes you try out!

Take care both of you!

Love,
Ingunn
veggie belly said…
I love the sound of "soft spices too"! Cumin and coriander go so well with a squeeze of citrus.
Cherie said…
This is my kind of salad. I live on this type of salad all winter. Well, this and hot Asian soups. Will have to give this a try this weekend.
Giff said…
this sounds delicious - interesting, healthy and subtle Andrea
Lisa said…
I've made this and it is WONDERFUL. Chickpeas are great, but roasted is the very best.
Anonymous said…
I am a novice . I need to know the servings this recipe offers . This sounds such a healthy and tasty alternative to regular rich indian cooking . Also this is more like a salad but I'm thinking of having it as a starter, please suggest

Thanks
SS
I came across your blog while looking for some Indian food blogs and liked a lot. How amazing! I will keep an eye on your post.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for sharing this information.I have read this article few months ago on a latest bengali news paper.
Sbihm said…
Thanks for sharing this information, I really appreciate your cooking skills. Thank You! I love this dish so much. I have learned this dish to prepare when I was studying in the hotel management institute in Kolkata

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