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My video about yeast extract (a great vegan umami source, imho): https://youtu.be/7zEWtqkp1v8

***RECIPE, FEEDS 8-10***

1 lb (454g) dry chickpeas (or about twice that in canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
1 lb (454g) fresh green beans
1 lb (454g) fresh tomatillos (could replace with canned, or with more tomatoes)
1 28 oz (794g) can whole plum tomatoes
1-2 14 oz (414mL) cans of coconut cream
1 onion
1 bell pepper
2-3 fresh chilies (I used jalapeños)
3-4 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons Indian-style spice mixture (I toasted and ground a mixture of whole green and black cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns)
basmati rice (I make half a cup, 100g of dry rice per person)
two stock cubes (I used OXO meat-free beef cubes made of yeast extract, but you could use all kinds of things, or skip it)
mustard seeds (optional)
chili powder for the table (I used Kashmiri)
white wine (optional)
sugar (optional)
fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or other green herb for garnish
salt

The night before, get the chickpeas soaking in plenty of plain water — they should double in size. The next day, drain and rinse them. Put them in a big pot with plenty of fresh water (I salt it like pasta water, but that may slow the cooking a bit and you could just season the sauce), bring the pot to a boil, hold it there for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until almost as tender as you want them — mine took an hour. Drain and hold them until your sauce is ready.

Meanwhile, sauce. If using fresh whole spices, toast them dry in a big pan until fragrant, take them out and grind them. Peel and chop up the onion and put it in that big pan with some oil. You want to brown the onion, so use pretty aggressive heat, and stir it frequently while you chop up the peppers. Stir the peppers into the pan and keep cooking while you peel and chop the garlic. Stir the garlic into the pan, keep stirring frequently so nothing burns. Take the lanterns off the tomatillos and chop them up.

When the stuff in the pan is quite brown, stir in the tomatillos, using their moisture to deglaze the pan. When they're soft and brown, stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, using them to deglaze the pan again. Try to smash the tomatoes so they'll cook faster. Stir in your spice mixture and a big splash of white wine (if using). Simmer it for about an hour, until everything is soft and mushy. Stir it occasionally and replenish with more wine or water if it's getting so thick that it might stick to the pan and burn.

Meanwhile, rice. Wash and drain the rice a few times until the water runs clear(ish). Add the cooking water (I used the trick where you touch the tip of your index finger to the surface of the rice and fill the pot with water until water comes up to the crease behind your first knuckle), stir in a pinch of salt and some whole mustard seeds, cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until all water is absorbed — maybe 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and hold in on warm until you're ready to eat.

When the sauce is done cooking, pass it though a sieve into a bowl, using a spoon to grind everything into the sieve. Discard the remaining skins and other solid vegetable matter. Stir the remaining smooth sauce into the drained chickpeas (if you're using drained canned chickpeas, now is when you bring them in). Chop the green beans into bite-size pieces and stir them in with the chickpeas, along with the coconut cream (you could hold back some of the cream for garnish at the end) and stock cubes. Simmer until everything is tender and the stock cubes are dissolved. Taste for seasoning, and consider adding salt, sugar, more liquid, more cream, etc.

Serve on rice with cilantro and chili powder on the side. Freezes and thaws great.