• 4.5 cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 piece cinnamon
• 6 black cardamom pods
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 12 cloves
• 2 tsp loose black tea

• 3 tbsp deodorized coconut oil
• 1 tsp hing
• 2 tsp turmeric

• 3 medium onions, pureed with a splash of water
• 3cm piece of ginger, pureed
• 5 cloves of garlic, pureed
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 700 ml tomato puree
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (1 small can)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes

• 3 tbsp chana masala spice blend
• 3 tsp deggi mirch (sub 2 tsp extra hot chilli powder)
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp amchur
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fenugreek leaves

Drain and wash soaked chickpeas. Add to a pressure cooker along with salt. Place bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and tea into an infuser and add to pressure cooker. Add water until barely covered. Bring to pressure, cook for 20 minutes (large chickpeas need up to 10 minutes more), let pressure release naturally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan. Add hing, turmeric and pureed onions. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add ginger/garlic paste. Mix and cook until oil separates. Add tomato puree and paste. Cook until reduced. Add the rest of the spices except fenugreek. Mix well, adjust consistency with water if needed. Cook for 2 minutes.

Remove infuser from pressure cooker and add sauce to cooked chickpeas. Adjust seasoning if needed (salt as needed, or tomato paste for brightness). Allow to come to boil. Crush some of the chickpeas to thicken the sauce. Crush fenugreek leaves by rubbing them between your palms and add to sauce. Cook for 5 minutes or until as thick as desired.

Serve garnished with cilantro with a squeeze of lime juice and a side of jasmine rice.

Note: If you skip soaking the chickpeas, use more water (a bit more than for rice) and add 30 minutes to the cooking time.