Chana Punjabi (Indian Style Chickpeas)

From the New York Times. Goes really well with rice and Curried Braised Cauliflower (from a previous post.)

Ingredients

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t minced ginger
• 1 small Thai bird chili, chopped
• 1/2 can chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 t paprika
• 1 t salt, or as needed
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/2 t garam masala
• 1/4 t turmeric
• 1 t freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
• 2 T minced cilantro

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion, and sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and 1/4 c water, cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Purée mixture in blender or food processor until smooth, then return to pan and place over medium heat.
5. Add paprika, 1 t salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
6. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed (up to 1 1/2 c) to prevent burning. (When ready to serve, sauce should be thick.)
8. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed, and serve with cooked rice.