Chole (Punjabi Chickpea Curry)

• 300 g Dried chickpeas
• 2 medium Yellow onion
• 25 g Ginger root
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece Green chili pepper
• 500 g Tomato, ripe
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 piece Cinnamon sticks
• 2 pieces Bay leaves
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 ½ tsp Garam masala
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 piece Lemon
• 20 g Fresh coriander

1. Put the chickpeas in a large pot, cover with plenty of cold water, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 35 to 45 minutes until tender, topping up with water if needed. Drain, reserving 400 ml of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, grate the ginger, and finely chop the garlic and green chilli. Roughly chop the tomatoes and finely chop the fresh coriander; keep the coriander aside for finishing. Cut the lemon in half and set aside.
3. Heat the rapeseed oil and ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden.
4. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala and cook for 30 seconds. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is thick, glossy and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
5. Stir in the cooked chickpeas, the reserved cooking liquid, and the remaining salt. Simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is rich and thick and the chickpeas are well coated. Taste and adjust with a little more salt if needed.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining garam masala. Squeeze in the lemon juice to taste and scatter over the fresh coriander. Serve hot, removing the cinnamon stick and bay leaves as you dish up if you like.

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