Indian Chickpea Curry (Chole)

Here is Part III of my Indian Menu: Indian Chickpea Curry aka Chole.
Chole is a very simple, tasty, and healthy Indian dish made from chickpeas and tomatoes and flavored with all sorts of traditional Indian spices. It is very good served with some Indian bread (rotis or naan) or simply rice. The flavors in this dish are so delicious that you won't miss all the cream and butter found in many other Indian dishes. Plus it takes about 30 minutes to make! No joke. This stuff is the bomb.

Indian Chickpea Curry(Chole)

• 4 medium tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 3 small green chilies
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 3 cups (2 15 oz cans) of cooked chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
• 1 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• freshly ground pepper

1. Blend the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and chiles to make a puree.
2. Heat the oil and lightly fry the cumin seeds and bay leaves for
about 1 minute over medium heat. Add the flour and stir fry until lightly browned.
3. Add the tomato puree, coriander, tumeric, and chili powder, and let cook over for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and water, and let cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.