Merengue- Dominican Carnival Chickpeas

Merengue- Dominican Carnaval

We present a colorful dish hailing from the land of merengue and Johnny Ventura. Our dish is prepared with Montana-grown Black Kabuli chickpeas, which have an earthy flavor and can hold the depth of spices and coconut, unlike their beige counterparts. We drew inspiration from the numerous exotic ingredients brought to the Dominican Republic from Africa and designed this unique recipe with Carnival in mind. We hope that this dish brings you the authentic taste of the Caribbean and that you enjoy it with your loved ones.

Serves 6

Ingredients for the Chickpea Stew

For the sofrito

1/3 cup of chopped sweet onion

1/3 cup of chopped Roma tomatoes

1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped

2 TBSP Olive Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced and chopped.

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

For the Stew

4 cups pre-cooked black chickpeas, follow package instructions

3 cups of kale, (lacinato/Tuscan) chopped

1 can coconut milk (do not use light)

4 cups of roasted garnet yams, peeled and cubed

Glaze for the Yams

¼ cup of olive oil

1.5 TBSP of honey

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

Directions

1.     Turn oven to 425.

2.     Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3.     Peel and cut the yams into 1-inch cubes.

4.     Combine all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

5.     Pour the glaze over the yams.

6.     Dish into the sheet pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through.

7.     While the yams are roasting, make the stew.

8.     To a 4-quart pot add 2 TBSP of Olive Oil.

9.     When the oil is hot, add the sofrito ingredients except for the garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Add the garlic.

10.  Once the garlic is fragrant, about 20 seconds, add the kale and cook until it softens.

11.  Stir in the chickpeas and stir to combine.

12.  Cook for about 20 minutes so all the flavors marry, and the coconut milk reduces.

13.  Remove from the burner and add the roasted yams.

14.  Serve in a bowl and top with cilantro.

15.  Enjoy in good company and with the rhythm of a merengue or two.