Ingredients
- 225 g ripe tomatoes, hulled and coarsely chopped
- One 5 cm piece fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- Fresh hot green chiles of choice, such as 2 or 3 Thai green chiles or 1/4 to 1/2 jalapeño (optional; seeds removed, if desired)
- 1 cup packed coriander leaves and tender stems
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1-1⁄2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil
- One 7 cm cinnamon stick
- 5 whole green cardamom pods, smashed with the flat side of a chef's knife
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- Two 420 g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups total)
Method
- Combine the tomato, ginger, garlic, chiles (if using), cilantro, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 6 tablespoons of the water in a blender or food processor. Puree to form a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaves; stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add the onion and potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens and the potatoes begin to turn golden.
- Stir in the pureed sauce, so the onion and potatoes are well coated. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover long enough to stir in the chickpeas, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the remaining 1 cup of water.
- Once the mixture begins to bubble, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (If the curry is bubbling too vigorously, reduce the heat to low.)
- Allow the curry to cool for a few minutes, then discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
- Serve warm.
Adapted from "From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes From the Indian Spice Trail," by Madhur Jaffrey.