400g dried chick peas soaked overnight, cooked in pressure cooker

2 onions chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic sliced

2.5 cm knob of ginger chopped fine

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

400g can tomatoes

Bunch fresh coriander

Fry onion in oil until starting to brown - this can take 15 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, fry for a couple more minutes, then add spices and stir together for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook together for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and cook for 10 or more minutes until flavours have mingled, adding some of the liquid the chickpeas were cooked or tinned in to make a sauce of the consistency you like. When everything has come together, taste, check for spiciness (sometimes it needs more), salt if necessary, and stir in plenty of freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Eat with wholemeal pitta bread and cucumber raita made by chopping cucumber and mint and stirring into plain yogurt seasoned with black pepper and a pinch of salt.

Adapted from recipes in 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi published by Kyle Cathie and Fresh Flavours of India by Das Sreedrahan, published by Conran Octopus.

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