Name: Chickpeas with Mango Powder (Amchur Chana)
Yield: Makes 4 cups
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons mango powder (see box) or fresh lime juice; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; ½ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper); 2 tablespoons canola oil; 2 black, green, or white cardamom pods; 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long), to taste; 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon whole, 1 teaspoon ground; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt; ¼ cup finely chopped red onion; 3 cups cooked chickpeas; 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (see Tip)

Preparation info

Makes
4 cups

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

When a curry relies on the pervasive flavor of a spice, it had better be strong enough to carry the sauce. The ground powder (chur) of unripe mango (aam) in this dish bears that burden with great fortitude, not to mention earthy tartness. Mango powder is a souring, cooling spice, used heavily in northern India—as are chickpeas, so it is natural that the two come together very often there. I find it interesting that even though crushed tomatoes (another acid) form the base of t