Quick Chickpea Curry

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high and cook the onion 6 minutes, stirring, until softened and starting to colour at the edges.

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2. Add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook 1 minute.

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3. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and stir constantly for 45 seconds. The oil will turn deep red and the spices will smell toasted rather than raw — do not let them burn.

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4. Stir in the tomato purée and cook 90 seconds until it darkens.

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5. Add the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, water, salt and sugar, and bring to a simmer.

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6. Cook 12 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and darkened.

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7. Mash about a quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon; the sauce will thicken noticeably.

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8. Take off the heat and stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and coriander. Taste for salt and acid.

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Chef’s Tips

• Forty-five seconds on the ground spices, watching. This is where the flavour comes from and it is also where it can be lost.
• Garam masala off the heat. Simmered, it tastes of nothing within five minutes.
• The lemon at the end is not optional; without acid the curry tastes heavy.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Basmati rice or naan
• Cucumber raita
• Mango chutney

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days and better on day two. Freezes for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.