Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas make hearty and tasty vegetable. Highlighted with lots of roasted cumin. The roasted cumin is divided in half, with first half added early to base to lend flavor, and second half added to finish to lend aroma.

Ingredients
BASE
1/2 onion chopped
1 medium plum tomato chopped
1/2 cup water
SPICE
2 cloves garlic crushed and sliced thin
1/2 inch ginger grated

2 tsp cumin seed ground

1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander seed ground
1/2 tsp red chili pepper ground
1/8 tsp salt
MAIN
1 can chickpeas drained
FINISH
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black peppercorn ground
handful fresh coriander

Preparation
To roast spice, in saucepan preheated with medium heat, roast the cumin seeds until aroma, 30-60 sec. Remove from heat immediately and pour from pan into small bowl to cool. After cool, grind to coarse powder in spice grinder, 10 sec. Also separately grind coriander seeds and red chili pepper.
To make the base, in small saucepan brown onion, 10-20 min. Can save time by browning onions in batches and using saved brown onions. Add tomato and cook, 3 min. Allow the tomato to saute, not boil. Add water, garlic, ginger, 1/2 roasted cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili pepper, and boil 2-3 min. Water keeps garlic from burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. With stick blender, puree the tomatoes into gravy.
Now for the main ingredient, the chickpeas. Add chickpeas and bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 min. Mash 2 tbsp chickpeas and stir.
To finish, add garam masala, 1/2 ground roasted cumin, black pepper and fresh coriander and stir.