Chickpea Masala

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) dried chickpeas
• 4 cups (960ml) water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 small stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 fresh hot green chili, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 -inch (1-cm) cube fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 310g tomatoes, pureed
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp mango powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Sliced onions and fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

For the Roasted Spice Mixture:

• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chili
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in 4 cups water. Then drain and place the soaked chickpeas covered with water in a pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 18-20 minutes if using a pressure cooker (starting from the time the pressure cooker has a full head of steam), and about an hour if cooking in a pan. The chickpeas should be well cooked – until they are slightly broken. Drain.
2. Dry roast all the roasted spice mixture ingredients and grind to a powder.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cumin seeds. Stir over medium heat until fragrant. Add the asafetida and onion and sauté for 10-12 minutes until browned.
4. Add the fresh green chili, ginger, and the pureed tomatoes. Cover the frying pan and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, mango powder, and coriander powder. Stir thoroughly.
5. Add the cooked chickpeas and stir gently. Add some of the reserved drained cooking liquid to bring it to the desired consistency. Add the roasted spice mixture, bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
6. Serve garnished with spring onions and/or coriander leaves.