As I enjoyed this satisfying mix of wholesome chickpea flavor and savory tomato curry sauce for lunch, I got to thinking about where this amazing dish would originate from if it were featured in Thedas. My initial thought was Rivain. But ultimately the simplicity and bold flavor made me think again. This dish could easily be an irresistible staple from Antiva, home to boldness of all kinds. Antiva has a well-known reputation across Thedas, from the cutthroat docks along Rialto Bay to the bargaining tables of merchants. It is a nation that balances beauty and peril. Aside from assassins and Plutarchs, there is much that Antiva is famous for, including art, leather, and alcohol. Dragon Age Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook describes the country as thus:
"While technically a monarchy, Antiva is really ruled by its merchant princes. It produces little of note but excellent wine, so trade is a way of life. Antiva is famous for its merchants and sailors, though it has little in the way of warrior tradition. It is said that Antivans are good at everything but fighting. Or at least fighting on the battlefield. In fact, they excel at dirty fighting and Antiva is home to the most notorious guild of assassins, thieves, and spies in Thedas..."
Though I believe the Antiva we have heard so much about owes much of its cultural progress and cooking skills to the nation that it taught it to maintain its independence*: Rivain. Rivain and Antiva likely share many culinary customs and appreciate rich and flavorful cuisine.
Before I begin, a brief note: images are a bit different in this entry; my partner helped me capture the process - in some cases we worked well together and in others we did not quiet get what we wanted. So thank you for bearing through this post and Maker bless this awkwardly angled and poorly lit mess.
Also, this recipe is not oil-free. Lately I have been testing my abilities to see if I can enjoy oil cooked in meals without succumbing to procession from a digestive-pain demon. My recipe uses a total of 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half of a teaspoon of peanut butter, which did not cause any tears in the Veil or other side effects for me, so hooray for healthy progress! My recipe though is 100% vegan.
As always, I began by organizing my ingredients on the counter.
Then I began dicing my onion and peppers.
The recipe calls for 'minced' and if you prefer to mince your peppers, onion, and such, make sure you are using a sharp knife. The sharpness of your knife can make all the difference in your cut and how long your mincing takes.
Pictured above is my Katriel's grasp, my go-to default weapon of choice in the kitchen, my chopping knife. Next to it is a paring knife I am fond of and near that is my most-used "sharpening" tool. It doesn't really sharpen knife blades as it rather hones them instead. Regardless, I recommend using some kind of honing or sharpening device to keep your knives sharp and sturdy for long-term use.
But this Skyhold is run by a mage, and mages use their power, or power tools in this case. I instead opted to throw my onion and peppers into my trusty food processor. It was faster than mincing.
Keep the peppers and onions separate for now.
To keep my phone from locking, I used the split screen feature to play some Ghil Dirthalen codex readings from YouTube while I looked over the recipe.
Once my onion and peppers were ready, I measured out my chickpea flour, an essential ingredient for chickpea dumplings. I have always used Bob's Red Mill brand for cooked vegan goods like seitan. This was my first attempt at making dumplings and ol' Bob did not let me down, but I imagine any chickpea flour brand will do.
Then it was time to cook half the onions for the sauce! Save the other half for the dumplings.
Once my processed onion bits were slightly translucent, I added my ground coriander, mustard, curry, and cumin. And then I added half of a cup of water.
Then I had my roguish partner unlock the can of tomatoes to add, followed by half of the processed peppers. And at this point, I realized I almost forgot to add the ground turmeric and ginger with the onions, so I quickly threw those into the pan.
While the sauce cooked and thickened for about 10 minutes, I continued to prep the dumplings. I added the remaining onion and peppers with the chickpea flour and then poured in the oil and soy milk. The original recipe initially calls for yogurt but unsweetened soy milk is a great substitute.
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| Hey if you look closely, my partner's reflection in the bowl kind of resembles a terror demon. |
I realized too late I added too much soy milk and decided to go with it until I had everything else mixed in.
To fix my above mentioned mistake, I added more chickpea flour as I mixed the dumpling ingredients by hand.
Once the dumpling mix was semi-solid, I used spoons to drop small balls into the sauce on the stove.
My recipe yielded about 10 dumplings.
And then I put a lid on it, and continued simmering for about 10 minutes. Then it was time for some clean up!
Followed by a coffee break!
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| My well-loved, well-used "Templar." (Get it? Templar? Tumbler? I know, I'm awful.) |
At this point, I gently turned the dumplings over and carefully stirred the sauce, then covered the pan again and allowed everything to simmer another 5 minutes.
And that looks like as fine a lunch as any Antivan Crow could wish for in my humble opinion.
I was able to make this meal last for 2 lunches, but I imagine if I had made a full recipe from the source, I could have gotten 3 or 4 servings out of it.
Obligatory aesthetic lunch plate pictures.
When I reheated the dumplings the following day I added a sprinkle of oregano, sesame seeds and nutritional yeast for some additional flavor. And just look at that, a lunch so lovely Zevran would no doubt runaway with it.
While I enjoyed this dish as a lunch with (more) coffee, this would be an excellent dinner with rolls and a glass of Antivan Sip Sip. You can of course serve this meal immediately once it is cooked or you can store it in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
The recipe was honestly very easy to make up and adjust quickly as I went, so I hope you give it a try and enjoy it!
*For those who may not exactly know what I am talking about with the independence line, I am referring to Queen Asha, the Rivaini-born princess who became the Queen of Antiva and is known throughout Thedosian history as the "Queen Mother of Thedas." Indeed, Antiva owes Rivain much.
Chickpea Dumplings with Tomato Curry Sauce:
Ingredients:
For Tomato Curry Sauce:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 small sweet peppers, minced or processed
1/4 small yellow onion, minced or processed
3/4 Tbsp curry powder
15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 c water
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
For Dumplings:
1/2 c chickpea flour
2-3 small sweet peppers, minced or processed
1/4 small yellow onion, minced
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp plus 2-3 tsp c of soy milk or dairy yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peanut butter (optional)
Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, cook until slightly translucent. Add coriander, mustard, cumin and curry. Then add water, crushed tomatoes, turmeric and ginger. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
While sauce is cooking, prepare dumpling mix by combining ingredients in a mixing bowl with hands or a wide spoon. Using table spoons, drop walnut-sized dumplings into the sauce.
Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Serve (or store) and enjoy!
Like what you are reading? Great! There is more to come in the next few weeks - including a long-waited entry all about frilly, tiny, Orleasian cakes.
Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at Essem_Jay on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram at gourmetveganthedas.
Walk always in the Maker's light.
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Sources:
Dragon Age Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook: Prams, Chris. Green Ronin Publishing. 2015.
DieTTaste: http://www.diettaste.com/
DieTTaste, Chickpea Dumplings in Curry Tomato Sauce: http://www.diettaste.com/main-dishes/chickpea-dumplings-in-curry-tomato-sauce.html
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