250ml/8 fl oz sunflower oil
250g/8oz chopped onion
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
260g/8oz finely chopped fresh tomatoes (or tinned chopped tomatoes)
700g/24 oz cooked or canned chick peas (or 2 x 400g cans)
1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1200ml/2 pints of water (you may not need all this, depending on how runny a curry you want)
2 whole fresh green chillis
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 teaspoons garam masala
Optional:
200g fresh spinach leaves
1 red pepper roughly chopped
Suitable for freezing.
Put the oil into a sauteuse pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes until they are golden - just soft, not burnt. Add the ginger, garlic, (pepper if using) and tomatoes and simmer gently on a low heat for 10-15 minutes until the oil separates and the mixture becomes a pulp. Add a tablespoon of water at this stage if required,
At this stage, keep the heat up, and the oil will stay separate. Spoon off the excess oil. Add the chick peas, salt, chilli powder, whole chilli and turmeric. Stir well. Add 4 tablespoons of boiling water and simmer on a gentle heat for 5-7 minute or until the excess liquid evaporates and there is a thick gravy. At this stage, it can be served as a masala curry.
For a more runny curry, add 1-1.5 pints of boiling water and simmer again on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. If making a more runny curry you can add the spinach at the same time as the water, and cook down until the spinach is softened. Increase or decrease the amount of water to your liking. Add garam masala and the fresh coriander leaves before serving.