Channa peshawri

Chickpeas known as channa are an essential ingredient in Indian cooking. They have a distinct nutty flavour that tastes delicious when combined with a hint of spice

Indian name: Chickpea masala

What you need:

• 275g (10oz) dried chickpeas * (see cook’s tip)
• 2 teabags
• 2 black cardamom pods (optional)
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2cm (¾ inch) piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
• ½ green chilli, chopped (optional)
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Patak’s Rogan Josh Paste
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sugar

What you do:

1. In a bowl soak the chickpeas with the teabags and two litres (70 fl oz) of water. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. Remove the tea bags and boil the chickpeas in the liquid, adding the black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over a low heat for one - two hours, or until the chickpeas are soft and cooked through. Skim off any scum that has formed on the surface, during cooking. Drain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the whole spices.
3. In a pan heat the oil on a medium flame and add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to sizzle add the garlic, ginger and green chilli (if using). Sauté for one minute before adding the onions.
4. Cook for five minutes or until they turn golden brown before stirring in Patak’s Rogan Josh Paste. If the mixture starts to stick to the pan then add approx 150 ml (¼ pint) of the reserved cooking liquid.
5. After three minutes add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and cook for five minutes before adding the cooked chickpeas. (If using canned chickpeas, add them here along with some of the tea-infused liquid.)
6. Add 150 ml (¼ pint) of the reserved cooking liquid, cover and cook for a further ten minutes before checking the seasoning. Remove from the heat, stir in the yoghurt and squeeze in some lime juice. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve piping hot.

Anjali’s handy tip:

This tastes great with tinned cooked chickpeas as well. Simply boil a tea bag in 600ml (1 pint) of hot water and use this water as your cooking liquid. You will need two (400g) cans of chickpeas.

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