S4 Ep 54: The History Of Chickpea Curry With Guest Jamila Norman

In this episode of Sprung On Food, farmer and food advocate, and host of Homegrown on Magnolia Network, Jamila Norman joins for the history of chickpea curry. When Jamila named chickpea curry as one of her favorite foods, it was clear that this wasn’t about preference, it was about heritage.

Chickpea curry, whether called channa, chole, or simply curry chickpeas, sits at the intersection of Jamaican and Trinidadian culture. In our conversation, Jamila explained how the dish represents both sides of her family and reflects the broader Indo-Caribbean experience shaped by Indian indentured laborers who arrived in the Caribbean in the 19th century.

Those laborers brought culinary traditions with them, traditions that adapted to new landscapes and ingredients. In Trinidad, that evolution produced doubles: curried chickpeas served between soft fried bara. In Jamaica, curry became embedded into everyday cooking, transforming into something uniquely Caribbean.

What makes chickpea curry especially powerful is its accessibility. Jamila, who identifies as mostly pescatarian, described it as deeply satisfying and flavorful without centering meat. It’s hearty, protein-rich, and layered with spice, proof that plant-based food has always existed within traditional cuisines, long before modern dietary trends.

But the conversation didn’t stop at history. As the owner of Patchwork City Farms, Jamila approaches food through the lens of agriculture and community. For her, chickpea curry is connected to land stewardship, food sovereignty, and the importance of growing what we eat. The dish becomes a symbol of resilience, not only cultural resilience, but agricultural resilience.

Chickpea curry tells a story of migration across oceans, of traditions preserved and transformed, of identity carried through flavor. It is both everyday and extraordinary, a comfort food that quietly holds centuries of movement, adaptation, and survival.

In that way, it’s more than a recipe. It’s a reflection of how food sustains culture, and how culture, in turn, sustains us.

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