HOMEBOY SANDMAN and Ethiopian-Inspired Vegan Stew with Potatoes, Carrots and Chickpeas

HOMEBOY SANDMAN

We are proud to present our second episode of Grub Sessions featuring Homeboy Sandman!

A fixture on the NYC underground Hip-Hop scene, Homeboy Sandman has crafted his own style - boasting creative lyrics and a melodic flow reminiscent of Rakim, Pharoahe Monch, and Black Thought. It's only a matter of time before those names will be singing his praises too. Sandman has received Unsigned Hype in The Source, was named Best Hip Hop Act in Manhattan by New York Press, won the TAG Records Emcee Competition for NYC, was named Ralph McDanial's Video Music Award Winner, was the inaugural winner of End of the Weak's Strongest New Artist Award, and was selected to perform in Hot 97's " Who's Next?" Series.

Fresh from a knockout performance at the SXSW Music Festival, Homeboy Sandman dropped by to talk with us about how he uses words to craft his songs, gun samples in Hip-Hop, his unique guerilla marketing tactics, and more. Even though Homeboy Sandman only eats raw food, he was nice enough to make an exception for our Ethiopian-Inspired Vegan Stew with Potatoes, Carrots and Chickpeas.

- Jed I. Rosenberg

http://www.myspace.com/homeboysandman

www.homeboysandman.com

Grub Sessions - featuring Homeboy Sandman PART 1 from Jed I. Rosenberg on Vimeo.

Grub Sessions - featuring Homeboy Sandman PART 2 from Jed I. Rosenberg on Vimeo.

Ethiopian-Inspired Vegan Stew with Potatoes, Carrots and Chickpeas

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

- Olive oil or vegetable oil

- 3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

- 1 medium red onion, chopped

- 1 8oz. can tomato sauce

- 1 quart vegetable broth

- About 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

- About 6 large carrots, cut into large chunks

- Bread of choice

Spice mix:

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 1 teaspoon salt

- ½ teaspoon black pepper

- ½ teaspoon chili powder (more if you like spicy)

- ½ teaspoon coriander

- ½ teaspoon allspice

- ½ teaspoon ground ginger

- ½ teaspoon cumin

- 2 or 3 whole dried chilies (optional, for more heat)

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Stir together spices in a small bowl and set aside. Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with some olive or vegetable oil and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the chickpeas, stirring once, for about 20 minutes until they brown. Set aside.

While the chickpeas are in the oven, heat some oil in a medium or large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the spice mixture and cook for about two minutes to toast the spices. Add tomato sauce and cook two minutes more.

Stir in broth, potatoes, carrots, roasted chickpeas, and dried chilies if using. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot with lid and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through. Uncover pot and simmer about 25 minutes more, until liquid reduces to a thick sauce and potatoes and carrots are tender. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with bread.

Inspiration for recipe from wholefoods.com.

All photos by Isabel Santos, Copyright© 2009