Dried chickpeas need an overnight soak and an hour on the hob. The tinned ones need neither, and once they have simmered in the masala for twenty minutes nobody can tell the difference. This is the version we cook at home on a Tuesday.
Ingredients
- 2 tins Natco boiled chick peas jumbo (400g each), drained and rinsed
- 1 tin KTC chopped tomatoes (400g)
- 3 tbsp East End sunflower oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic and a thumb of ginger, crushed to a paste
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder), or the juice of half a lemon
- Salt, fresh coriander and sliced red onion to finish
Method
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium flame. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add the onions and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and properly golden. Do not rush this; the colour of the gravy comes from here.
- Stir in the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and cook for a minute, then add the turmeric, coriander powder and chilli powder with a splash of water so the spices do not catch.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the oil separates at the edges and the masala looks glossy.
- Add the drained chickpeas and 250ml of hot water. Season with salt, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Crush a few chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
- Finish with garam masala and amchur or lemon juice. Rest for five minutes, then top with coriander and red onion. Serve with rice, roti or bhatura.
Cook's notes
For a darker, dhaba-style gravy, drop a tea bag into the simmering pan for the last ten minutes and remove it before serving. Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge and freeze well.