Chickpea Masala

INGREDIENTS:

Chickpeas - 1/2 lb, soaked overnight
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 2, pureed
Ginger - 2 tsp, minced
Garlic - 4 pods, minced
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Carom seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Dry Mango powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Dry Spices:
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Peppercorns - 4 to 5
Cardamom - 1 pod
Tea leaves - 1 tsp

Take a muslin cloth and place all the dry spices in the middle of the cloth. Secure it with a tight knot. [Bring all the corners together and secure a knot around them.]

Add the soaked chickpeas with a litre of water and some salt into a pressure cooker. Drop the muslin bag with spices into it and pressure cook until 3 whistles. Once the pressure has released, remove the spices bag and discard it. The chickpeas would have got pickled with their aroma and turned into a deeper color. 

Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add in the cumin and carom seeds. Then, add in the ginger, garlic and onions. Saute until they turn translucent. Add in all the masala powders mentioned above. Next add in the tomato puree and salt. Mix well and allow it to boil for about 10 mins or until the tomato mixture thickens. This makes the base of the gravy. Then, add in the boiled chickpeas with little water, preserving the rest of water for later use. Let the mixture boil for another 5 to 7 mins. Garnish with coriander. 
Serve with rice or roti.

Tips:
You can boil tea leaves in water, like you prepare tea and add this water to the chickpeas while pressure cooking them.