Channa Peshawri (Chickpea Masala)

Chickpeas, known as channa, are an essential ingredient in Indian cooking. They have a distinctive nutty flavour and taste absolutely delicious when combined with spices. A great staple for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, this dish uses wonderfully aromatic flavours such as cardamom, ginger, lime, cumin and coriander - and of course the heady flavours of our Rogan Josh paste.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Difficulty: Advanced

Spiciness

If you like this recipe try these

Tadka Dhal

Chickpea Curry

This recipe features

Ingredients

275g (10oz) dried chickpeas (see Anjali'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

Methods

In a bowl soak the chickpeas with the teabags and two litres (70 fl oz) of water. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
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.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.
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.
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.)
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