Syma Habib and The Spiritual Work of Food, Systems Thinking, and Transforming Food Through Salt And Air

In Episode 2 of Season 2 we dive deep into the issues of food security and food dignity with Food Resilience Specialist Syma Habib. Syma works for the Climate Adaptation | Climate & Environment department at The City of Calgary, and has spent her life seeing the connections between food, belonging, and resilience. Check out her thought-provoking Substack newsletter at Whole Systems Healing, and learn more about how she makes connections between the body, the community, and food. Syma and I discuss the book "Inflamed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice" by Rupa Marya and Raj PatelHere is Syma's recipe for her family's chole. Check out our Instagram page for images of this delicous recipe! CholeBy Syma HabibIngredients1 cup dry chickpeas (washed and picked clean)1 tsp baking soda4 cups waterFor the Masala:75mL ghee or neutral oil1 onion, sliced1 tsp ginger, minced1 tsp garlic, minced1/2 tsp black pepper1 tsp chili powder (I like kashmiri)2 tsp coriander powder (I like to grind mine fresh)1 tsp garam masala1 tsp tamarind chutneySalt to tasteOptional: 1/2 tsp of anardana or amchur - I don't know what they're called in English, but anardana is dried crushed pomegranate and amchur is dry powdered mangoInstructions:Soak chickpeas overnight with water and baking sodaDump the soaked chickpeas with the water you soaked them in a pot. Add a half teaspoon of salt and cook until done. Drain the chickpeas, you'll use them later.Make the masala: brown the onion in the oil until very golden. Add ginger and garlic and soften. Add spices and toast them lightly, then add at least a quarter cup of water, more if needed to create a spice paste. Allow the paste to simmer on the stovetop for 3-4 minutes, then add the chickpeas and more water as needed to create a stew-like consistency (not soup-like!) Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, adding more water if needed.Serve garnished with raw ginger sticks and cilantro leaves, with a good naan or kulcha.