WASHINGTON 鈥� It starts with just a few basic ingredients (onion, garlic, chickpeas, greens and coconut milk), but the end result has a powerful effect 鈥� one that鈥檚 taking over the internet.
, a recipe developed by New York Times food columnist and cookbook author , is currently the darling child of social media, where it is more commonly referred to as #thestew.
On Instagram, the hashtag has more than 3,500 posts. The recipe on The New York Times website has more than 3,200 ratings 鈥� and it was published only two months ago.
鈥淚 still am struggling to figure out how that happened,鈥� Roman said about the immediate love for her creamy, spicy and golden-hued stew.
鈥淏ecause in certain cultures, the combination of chickpeas and turmeric and coconut milk is extremely familiar, but I wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 a household American item in the same way a chocolate chip cookie is.鈥�
That last reference hits on Roman鈥檚 , which experienced similar social media fame last year. To date, the recipe, which can be found in her 鈥溾�� cookbook, has garnered more than 4,000 Instagram posts under the name #thecookies.
Roman said both #thestew and #thecookies are beautiful to look at and easy to make, but even she can鈥檛 put her finger on what, exactly, made them go viral.
鈥淚f I knew the reason, I would do it all the time,鈥� Roman said.
One explanation, at least when it comes to #thestew, might have something to do with winter weather. The dish is spicy, thanks to red pepper flakes (Roman leaves it up to the cook鈥檚 discretion for the amount included); it is creamy and fatty, due to crushed chickpeas and two cans of full-fat coconut milk; and it has a zip from the addition of tangy yogurt and ginger.
The kale (or chard or spinach) and final sprig of fresh mint add a pop of green against the yellow of the turmeric-dyed broth. A spattering of crunchy chickpeas on top adds a textural contrast.
鈥淚t feels like creamy and warm and comforting, almost like a bowl of macaroni and cheese, but it seems to be a lot healthier for you,鈥� Roman said about #thestew.
If you鈥檙e looking to create the next viral recipe, or just something to please the palates of friends and family, Roman has a few tips. First, she said, give some attention to the pantry, which she calls 鈥渢he gateway to good cooking.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about buying anything expensive or superfluous, it鈥檚 about having things in your fridge and pantry that don鈥檛 go bad that are almost always going to improve what you鈥檙e cooking,鈥� Roman said.
Stock up on spicy staples, such as harissa paste, chili flakes and a good hot sauce. And make sure you have acidic ingredients at the ready, including fresh lemon, preserved lemon and vinegars.
鈥淎nd things like a hunk of Parmesan cheese will go a really long way to making something more delicious,鈥� Roman added.
And while the internet is a great source to scout the latest 鈥渋t鈥� recipes, Roman said don鈥檛 ignore cookbooks. That鈥檚 how she learned to cook, and she encourages others to turn to their pages for the same education.
鈥淲hen you invest in a cookbook, you鈥檙e investing in a person teaching you how to cook,鈥� she said.
Roman鈥檚 second cookbook, which focuses on cooking for others, is due out in October. And who knows, it may just contain Instagram鈥檚 next big hashtag 鈥� which Roman would welcome with open arms.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 really my whole goal; I want people to cook, and I want to provide recipes for them to cook, and I feel like [cooking] is really empowering. It鈥檚 a really nice thing to do for yourself, so it makes me so happy to see,鈥� she said.
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