Chickpeas in a mint sauce
- 250 g chickpeas
- 125 g chana dal
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 3 fresh green chillies
- 70 g mint leaves
- 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 200 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste (use lemon juice as a substitute)
- salt to taste
Soak the chickpeas for a few hours. Drain and boil with 1.5 litres of
water on low heat for 1 hour. Add chana dal and boil for another hour
or until tender.
Put ginger, garlic, green chillies and mint into a blender and blend
with 6 tbsp of water.
Put the oil in a wide pan and set over medium heat. Add the onions and
stir until they are a rich reddish-brown. Add the tomatoes. Cook until
oil leaves the masala. Put in the spice paste and stir for 5 minutes. Add the contents of the pan of chickpeas, together with salt, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and tamarind paste. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Serves 6-8 [5 in my experience].