Tea-Simmered Punjabi Chickpeas with Amchur and Ginger

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Dried chickpeas simmered with a bundle of black tea turn deep mahogany brown and silky-soft, then get folded into a dark onion-tomato masala spiked with amchur (dried mango powder) for that unmistakable sour-tangy Punjabi punch. Finished with raw ginger slivers, green chile and lemon, it's a one-pot dinner that tastes like it came off a Delhi street cart. No dairy anywhere — the richness comes from slow-browned onions and a splash of the starchy chickpea cooking liquid.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (about 10 oz)
• 2 black tea bags (plain Assam or English Breakfast)
• 1 whole black cardamom pod (optional but traditional)
• 1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 cups water

• 4 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or sunflower)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, slit lengthwise
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, pureed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp chana masala or garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in 6 cups of cool water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for at least 8 hours or overnight. They should swell to more than double in size; drain and rinse well.
2. Put the soaked chickpeas in a large heavy pot with 6 cups fresh water, the cinnamon stick, black cardamom, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the two tea bags tied together (or bundled in a scrap of cheesecloth). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a bare simmer, cover partly, and cook 55 to 70 minutes, until a chickpea mashes easily against the side of the pot with no chalky center. Top up with hot water if the level drops below the beans.
3. Fish out and discard the tea bags, cinnamon, and cardamom. Drain the chickpeas, reserving all the dark cooking liquid — you'll need about 2 cups.
4. While the chickpeas cook, heat the oil in a wide 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle and darken for 20 to 30 seconds.
5. Add the chopped yellow onions and a pinch of salt. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the onions are deeply golden brown at the edges — this browning is where the color and body of the dish come from. Lower the heat if they threaten to burn.
6. Stir in the grated ginger, garlic, and slit serranos and cook 90 seconds, until raw-garlic smell is gone.
7. Add the pureed tomatoes along with the coriander, ground cumin, Kashmiri chile powder, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring, until the mixture thickens into a dark paste and you see oil separating around the edges. Do not rush this step.
8. Add the drained chickpeas and stir to coat every bean in the masala; fry them together for 3 minutes, pressing about 1/4 cup of the chickpeas against the pot with the back of a spoon to thicken the gravy naturally.
9. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered 15 minutes, until the gravy is glossy and coats a spoon. Add a splash more liquid if it gets too tight.
10. Stir in the chana masala and the amchur, simmer 2 more minutes, then taste and adjust salt and sourness — it should be forward-tangy. Turn off the heat and let it sit 5 minutes.
11. Serve hot, scattered with ginger matchsticks, cilantro, and sliced red onion, with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing at the table.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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