This dish is often served in a wedding house before the big day. I had no idea how to make it but did some quick googling to see what the spice combinations were (not that I followed any of them). This turned out delicious and hubby was super chuffed as it is one of his favourite dishes and I have never made it before. I was quite apprehensive as I was looking for a really authentic tasting dish that would live up to his idea and memory of it. I served it with fresh naan and a chunky tomato and cucumber salad. He polished most of it off and I think in future I might double the recipe to have leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1 x tin chickpeas
• 1 x small onion, grated or blended until fine
• 2 x small tomatoes, grated or blended
• 1 tsp red chilli masala (ginger, garlic, red chillies)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
2. In a small pot add some oil and brown the grated onion. Once the onion is golden, add the spices and masala
3. Let the spices and masala cook for a few seconds.
4. Add the grated tomato and chickpeas and a little bit of water.
5. Cook until the tomato has thickened. You can reduce the liquid as much as you like depending on the consistency you prefer.
6. Serve with fresh naan, tamarind sauce and a chunky salad.

Tips:

If I don’t have to chop anything by hand I don’t. Instead of grating the onion, I put mine in the blender. It was very fine and pasty but that just made the masala thick. I emptied the onion out into the pot and without washing the container blended the tomatoes immediately after with a little bit of water. When the onions and spices were ready, I tipped out everything into the pot (tomato mixture with a few onion bits). Hubby wanted the chana soft but not mushy, so I cooked mine for 20-30 minutes adding water when it was too reduced to help it cook.