curried chickpeas with chutney bulgher

I finally made the Curried Chickpeas with Chutney Bulghur tonight. It was...interesting. It took me a few bites to start to appreciate the combination of flavors. Granted, I got the Sweet and Spicy Mango Chutney by Patak's, so that may have influenced the outcome of the bulghur being just a little too sweet for my husband's taste. It was certainly unlike anything I've made before. The chutney bulghur was sweet and pungent, with very strong ginger notes, whereas the curried chickpeas and tomatoes were very savory and delightful. My favorite part of the recipe was this mind-blowing moment:

"combine the chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, cumin, and turmeric in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 5 minutes."

This simple second step of the recipe caused me to read back through the ingredients and the recipe itself three times, convinced I was missing something. You know, nothing important, just the oil or broth or water I was supposed to add to simmer. Well, no matter how many times I reviewed the recipe, there was nothing! I thought, "I don't know about this," but I gave it a try. Of course, I had forgotten that the heat would cause the tomatoes to break down and create a delightful (and chunky) sauce with the spices.

According to the author, this recipe will serve 6. Unless I have serious misperceptions on how big a medium tomato is, I cannot imagine how this recipe would produce 6 main course servings. I'll give it four. Eh, on second thought, I suppose if we had added the suggested flatbread, steamed broccoli, and cucumber salad, it could have fed six, but only modestly. As in, not in America ;)

Anyway, the way it is in the book, this recipe will probably never find its way onto my table again. It wasn't a spectacular failure; Mister had seconds, and I'll have the leftovers for lunch. It was just too strong a combination, between the very gingery mango chutney and the bold, savory curry. The curry may find its way onto a differently prepared grain, though.