A vegetarian legume curry that pairs wonderfully with Jeera Rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpeas
  • salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1–2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 1 medium onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 inch section fresh ginger
  • 3 fresh tomatoes
  • 2 fresh jalapeño peppers (or other chilies)
  • 2 tablespoons ghee, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

  1. Soak chickpeas in plenty of water, overnight. Drain, rinse, and cover with 2 inches of water in a small pot. Add a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until just tender.
  2. Put cumin, coriander, peppercorns, mustard, fenugreek, black cardamom, and cinnamon in a dry pan and toast over medium heat until fragrant. Allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder.
  3. Peel and roughly chop onion, garlic, and ginger. Roughly chop tomatoes and chilies.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in wide skillet. Add fresh-ground masala and turmeric; fry until fragrant. Add garlic and ginger; fry briefly. Add tomatoes, onion, and chilies. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables begin to develop color. Deglaze pan with a small amount of water. Purée everything together.
  5. Clean skillet, then heat remaining ghee over medium heat. Add green cardamom pods and bay leaves; fry until fragrant. Add tomato paste and fry briefly. Stir in purée. Add chickpeas and as much cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Simmer for 15–20 minutes.
  6. Remove bay leaves. Stir in lemon juice, salt to taste, sugar, and cilantro. Serve with rice.