Indian Chili

Indian cuisine is all about spices, and the Fisher Price "My First Indian Spice Mix," which includes cumin, coriander and turmeric (I added some cayenne pepper for heat), is a solid foundation for any amateur Indian cook build on.  My version of Indian chili was inspired by channa masala, which is chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) in a tomato-based stew.  For my version of Indian-inspired chili, I first sauteed chopped brown onions, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, zucchini and chickpeas in a Dutch oven with canola oil until just tender (but not mushy).  I toasted the spices in the canola oil for a minute before I added the vegetables.  I then deglazed with some crushed tomatoes and added salt to taste, then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors develop.  This was good.  I didn't miss the meat at all because the mushrooms added a nice beefy dimension on their own.  It could have used a dollop of sour cream to balance out the heat from the cayenne, but I didn't have any on hand.