Goa Sausage and Chickpea Stew

For a while the Moosewood Cookbook was my go-to book for all things vegetarian and there was this Gypsy Soup in it that I loved. But after a while, it didn’t do it for me anymore. I needed to bump the flavour up somehow but I wasn’t feeling too excited about Then my mother-in-law sent us some Goa Pork Sausages which taste a bit like chorizo. They’re spicy and really flavourful and I started dreaming about capturing the smoky flavour in a big bowl of soup. I also had been looking at stew with dumplings and realized that I could do a riff on the Gypsy Soup with baby potatoes instead of dumplings and a hint of smoked sausage in the background.  It really did hit the spot!

Goa Sausage and Chickpea Stew
Makes 4 fairly generous servings

5 small Goa Sausages (about 2-3 cms each) or two larger ones or an equal amount of chorizo (If you don’t eat pork, you could add a spice blend of cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne pepper (chilli powder) and olive oil).
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin powder
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 pepper (I used half a red capsicum and half a green one), chopped
15 baby potatoes (or 2 large potatoes)
1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2-3 tbsp tomato puree

Pressure cook the chickpea with salt and water  for about half an hour or until tender. Also boil your potatoes in salted water. I peeled the lot because the skin was a bit off-putting and cut them in half, but do what you will peel-wise. While the chickpeas and potatoes are boiling, prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Once the chickpeas and potatoes are boiled, start working on the stew. Heat a deep pot and add the sausage (or spice blend). Let the fat render for a while then add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook till the onions are beginning to brown. Add the peppers, salt and cumin and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally add the potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and tomato puree and cook till the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear. Add water to cover, and allow to simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until the flavours are all incorporated.

Serve warm, with buttered toast.

Leftovers are great the next day. Just store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.