This chickpea curry served with parathas and fried eggs is a great addition to your weekend brunch catalogue of recipes. Make this recipe the night before and just re-heat if you want a lie-in and a lazy morning.
Sistan and Baluchestan
My journey to discover more about the cuisine of Iran has led me to Sistan and Baluchestan in the South-East of Iran. It is the second largest province of the 31 provinces of Iran, after Kerman Province.
The province borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and has a population of 2.5 million, which the majority are Baloch. They mainly inhabit mountainous terrains which has allowed them to maintain a distinct cultural identity and resist domination by neighbouring rulers. Approximately 20-25% of the worldwide Baloch population live in Iran. The majority of the Baloch population reside in Pakistan, and a significant number (estimated at 600,000) reside in southern Afghanistan. Baluchestan of Iran has been regarded as the most underdeveloped, desolate, and poorest region of the country.
A Spicier Cuisine
The food from the Southern Provinces of Iran tends to be spicier. In light of its bordering countries, Sistan and Baluchistan has a cuisine similar to those countries. Street food vendors and restaurants offer a range of dishes from chickpea curry served with fried eggs and parathas for breakfast; to kebabs rubbed with spices referred to as ‘Baluchi Masala’ for dinner. Restaurants in the area also serve karahi (curry-style dishes) and biryanis, whilst also offering an array of traditional Persian dishes.
The recipe below seeks to re-create the breakfast dish of chickpea curry with parathas and fried eggs eaten in the hustle and bustle of Chabahar. The city is situated on the Makran Coast of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. It is officially designated as a “Free Trade and Industrial Zone.” The name of the city translated means Four Springs as the climate feels like spring all year round.
What are Parathas?
Parathas are a type of flatbread commonly eaten in South Asian cuisine. The ingredients are simply plain flour, water, some oil and / or ghee and salt. Gently knead and rest the dough for 30 mins before cooking in a skillet or frying pan. Then butter before serving.
If you don’t want to make the paratha, by all means pop into your local Asian supermarket and purchase some or any other flatbread such as chapatis or roti. I am not a seasoned paratha maker but if you follow the recipe and steps below, the resulting breads are soft, flaky and perfect for dipping into the yolk of your fried egg and scooping up the chickpea curry.
Tips for Making this Dish
You may have eaten Channa Masala, Channay or Chole before as this curry is known in the Indian subcontinent. As with all aromatic food, the longer you cook/leave it the more intense the flavours. I often prepare the chickpea curry the night before and let it simmer for over an hour to intensify the flavours.
I also make the parathas the night before and just heat them up in a dry frying pan or skillet the next morning so all I am cooking are the eggs on the day we want to eat this meal.
If you are making this dish all in one go, then make the chickpea curry first. While the tomato sauce is simmering (before you add the chickpeas), prepare the paratha dough. Then, after you add the chickpeas to the sauce, just let the curry simmer gently as you roll out and cook the parathas. Fry the eggs as the final stage.
How to Serve this Dish
Serve this dish with fresh herbs such as coriander, mint, Thai basil and tarragon alongside the parathas, curry and fried eggs. My family and I often eat this breakfast/brunch dish washed down with a homemade mango lassie or Persian tea.
Other Breakfast Inspiration
Breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day so I invest as much time in it as I would an evening meal. Check out my other breakfast recipes to enjoy for weekend family brunches.
- Panir Bereshteh (Persian Scrambled Eggs with Feta & Dill)
- Omelette Gojeh Farangi – Persian Tomato Omelette
- Nargessi (Persian Spinach & Eggs)
- Persian Eggs Recipe (Borani Esfenaj with Poached Eggs and Aleppo Butter) | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)
- Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes) (simplyrecipes.com)
A Baluchi-Style Breakfast
Ingredients
For the chickpea curry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion (finely sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
- Thumb-size piece fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 x 400 g tins of chickpeas (drained)
- 200 mls water
- Fresh lime juice (half a lime)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Chopped fresh coriander (to garnish)
For parathas
- 3 cups plain flour (UK standard measuring cup plus extra to sprinkle on parathas)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp salt
- Water (as required to form a sticky dough in the region of 1.5 to 2 cups)
- Oil or ghee to brush and cook the parathas
For the eggs
- 6 large free-range eggs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
For the chickpea curry
- Take a saucepan and place it on medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil.
- Add onion and cook until it softens and turns golden. Then add garlic and ginger and stir.
- Once aroma of garlic and ginger starts to permeate, add cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala and stir. Allow mixture to cook with spices for about 2 mins.
- Add chopped tomatoes and once bubbling lower the heat to low- medium to allow the mixture to simmer. Simmer for 20 to 30 mins.
- Then add chickpeas, water, lime juice, salt and pepper and stir. Leave to simmer for 20 mins minimum until you are ready to serve. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander before serving.
For the parathas
- Add flour, oil, salt, to a large mixing bowl and mix until incorporated and only tiny lumps remain. Initially add about 1 cup water and mix into flour mixture. Then add more water in small increments to form a dough (I usually require 1.5 to 2 cups of water in total to make a dough). Knead dough for about 5 mins and then leave to rest for 30 mins.
- After resting time, the texture should be soft and dough lighter. Take the dough and split into 6 equal amounts and roll into a ball.
- Sprinkle some flour onto work surface. Take one ball of dough and roll to approximately 10cm in diameter with a rolling pin. Brush with a little oil / ghee, sprinkle with a little flour and then fold the dough like a fan. Take one end and roll it along the edge of the dough until it forms back into a ball (like a Catherine wheel). Leave to rest in fridge while you repeat the process with the other balls of dough. This will create the layered, flaky texture for the final cooked parathas.
- After preparing the ‘Catherine wheel’ dough balls, take a frying pan or skillet and place it on high heat. Drizzle some oil / ghee into pan.
- Take dough balls out of fridge. Take the first dough ball and roll it until it is approximately 1/2cm thick. Then cook it in the hot pan for 3 minutes on each side, or until nicely charred. While cooking, brush with a little bit more oil / ghee on each side. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Once the parathas are cooked, turn off the heat and leave cooked parathas to one side until you are ready to serve.
For the eggs
- Add oil to frying pan / skillet and place on medium-high heat.
- Crack eggs into pan, cover with a tight lid and cook for 3 mins or until white is set.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve alongside chickpea curry and parathas.