1/2 teaspoon mild red chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
4 large tomatoes, sliced
500 millilitres water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves
1 green chilli, slit
400 grams good quality chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons garam masala
3 tablespoons double cream
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
Steps
Heat the oil in a large frying pan then add the finely chopped onion and salt. Stir often so the onions don’t burn, and cook for 5 minutes or until they soften and just start to colour. Add the ginger and garlic pastes to the pan, and stir while they cook for 2 minutes, then add in the spices: cumin, chilli powder, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Stir them into the onion mixture for another minute before adding the sliced tomatoes.
Saute the tomato and onion curry base for 5 minutes then add in 500 millilitres of water, the sugar, fenugreek leaves, slit green chilli and chickpeas. Cook on a medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes while the sauce reduces and thickens. Get your serving accompaniments ready now. Or, if preparing in advance, you can turn off the heat at this point and re-heat it just before serving.
When you are ready to serve, re-heat the curry if it has cooled, stir in the garam masala, and then the double cream. Serve on basmati rice, sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander.
