Chickpeas with Mango Powder (Amchoor Chana)

660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer is proving to be one of the wisest cookbook investments I have made lately. There is an abundance of easy, but deliciously satisfying curry recipes that are ideal for days when you want proper nourishment without the fuss. The extensive chapter on legume curries is one that I continue to explore, as most of my meals are centered around beans and legumes.

Amchoor powder is readily available at Indian grocery stores. It is made from unripe green mangoes that are dried and turned into a powder. It adds a tangy, slightly sour flavour to Indian dishes. If you do not have mango powder on hand, you can substitute the juice from one lime.

I'm sending this along to Suganya who is hosting Vegan Ventures, Round 2.

Chickpeas with Mango Powder (Amchoor Chana)


1 1/4 cups of dried chickpeas (yields roughly 3 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons of oil, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 - 3 black cardamom pods, crushed
1 long cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tablespoons of mango (amchoor) powder
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
generous handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped red onion (I used shallots), finely chopped

Soak the chickpeas in enough water to cover overnight. Drain, transfer to a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chickpeas are soft: one - two hours depending on how old your beans are. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, drain and set the beans aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat in the same pot you cooked the beans in. When hot, add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks. Stir and fry for roughly 1 minute. Now add the ground spices, stir and pour in the tomatoes, and add the salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to thicken up (roughly 5 - 10 minutes.

Now add the chickpeas, the reserved cooking liquid and half of the chopped parsley or cilantro. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened (roughly 20 minutes).

Serve, garnished with some of the remaining parsley and cilantro and some of the chopped onions (or shallots).

Serves 4.