ChickPea Curry with Ginger Chai

Thank You Kshitija for supplying this recipe

Ingredients

For cooking chickpeas (this recipe works best when using the dried chickpeas, so the flavour of the tea infuses into the dish):

1 cup of dry white chickpeas

Pinch of soda bicarbonate

1 black cardamom

1" cinnamon stick

4-5 black peppercorns

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tsp of Chai Mamma's chai tea blend/ginger blend tied in a muslin cloth

For the curry:

2-3 tbsp oil (any vegetable oil will do)

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1/2 tsp of dried mango powder or dried pomegranate powder

1/2 tsp of chilli powder

1 slit green chilli

1" piece of ginger (julienned)

Salt to taste

Pinch of soda bicarbonate

Method:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight (or for at least 6-8 hours) in water to which salt and a pinch of soda bicarbonate has been added.
2. Rinse the chickpeas in cold water and put in a pressure cooker/pan.  Add enough water to cover the chick peas, salt to taste, pinch of soda bicarbonate, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, crushed garlic and the muslin bag containing the Chai Mamma tea blend. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are thoroughly cooked. Remove muslin bag containing tea blend.
3. Add the dried mango or pomegranate powder to the cooked chickpeas. Mix well and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a wok over a medium flame. Once hot, add cumin seeds, split green chilli, julienned ginger and chilli powder to the oil.  Add chickpeas to this tempering and mix well. Serve steaming hot with naan or other flat breads of your choice.

Note:

Spices can be adjusted to taste.