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Chickpeas with Garlic, Tomatoes and Green Chilies
World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook, Madhur Jaffrey, sent by Alison
18-24 cloves garlic, peeled
4 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
10 ml2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
710 ml3 cups tomato sauce, canned or homemade
3 20-ounce cans drained chickpeas
5 medium sized potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 ½ - 2 teaspoons salt
5 fresh hot green chilies (or substitute mild, canned)
10 ml2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
5 ml1 teaspoon ground amchoor* or lemon juice
1 ml1/8 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Put the garlic into food processor or blender with ¼ cup water. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch wide heavy pot over medium high flame. When hot, put the cumin seeds in. A few seconds later, put in the garlic paste.
Fry for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomato sauce. Keep stirring and cook for another minute. Add the drained chickpeas, diced potatoes, 2 cups water, salt, green chilies, ground cumin, amchoor and cayenne. Stir gently and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Alison says, "It has the consistency of potato salad, and I plunk it in a bowl and eat it plain along with greens-- a meal in itself. It’s a very versatile recipe, and I think it’s made to be played with. Sometimes I use tomatoes, sometimes in a pinch I use spaghetti sauce for the tomatoes, etc. As often as not, I make it with no chilies at all. "
*Amchur is a powder made from green dried mangoes which has a tart, slightly sour flavor. Substitutes are tamarind paste, lime juice, or lemon juice.