Chickpea Curry

This is a new favorite curry. Vegan, but you would never guess it; not too much time to cook if you use canned chickpeas. I adapted this recipe from a more complicated version in this curry book.

Combine in a pressure cooker or other pot:
1 can chickpeas
1/2 onion, chopped
3-5 black cardamom seeds
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorn
1/2 tea cumin seeds
1/2 tea salt
pinch asafoetida
water (enough to cover chickpeas, you will drain after cooking)

Cook until the chickpeas are tender: it was 4 minutes under pressure cooking. If you used soaked dry chickpeas, cook under pressure for 14 minutes. When done, open pressure cooker, and strain chickpeas, into a bowl to reserve the cooking water. Set aside the chickpeas and the cooking water for later.

Meanwhile, fry 3/4 C onion slices in olive oil until browned. This will take 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stir often to avoid burning the onions.

Puree in food processor:
1 onion
1 jalapeno pepper
1-2 thai chilis
1 tea grated ginger
2-4 cloves garlic

After the onion in the pan has browned, add the pureed onion/chili/garlic mixture and stir over medium heat until onion water evaporates a little.

Add spices to onion mixture:
1/2 tea turmeric
1/4 tea garam masala
1/2 tea coriander power
1/4 tea ground black pepper
1/2 tea mango powder/amchur

Then add 1 to 1.25 C pureed tomato (I used canned) and stir until combined.

Finally, add the reserved chickpeas and stir. Add chickpea cooking water as needed to make almost soupy consistency.

Serve with chopped cilantro and rock salt over basmati rice.