Chana {Chickpeas} ~ Simple and Delicious

This is an Ayurvedic Recipe that my husband cooks for us. It's simple to prepare, and very delicious.
Enjoy!

Chana {Chickpeas}

1.5 cups Chickpeas
2 large onions (diced)
large piece of fresh ginger (approx 2 inches) (finely chopped)
8 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 medium sided tomatoes (or 1 punnet cherry tomatoes) (diced)
1 tsp salt (we use himalayan crystal salt)
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel seeds
A few tablespoons of oil of your choice (we use ghee)

Soak the chana (chickpeas) overnight in water.
When you're ready to prepare your meal, boil the chana in the same water that they have soaked in with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds. You will need to check on the softness of the chickpeas, as different chickpeas can cook at different rates - we cook ours for approximately 40 minutes.

Heat your ghee (or other oil) in a medium heat pan, add onions, frying for a few minutes, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute and then add your cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric and fennel seeds. Cook for a further minute, stirring the entire time to ensure the spices do not burn.

Add your diced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Drain your chana, but be sure to retain the water they have been cooking in. Add the chana to the tomato mixture and stir well. Gradually add the drained water, mixing well to form a 'gravy' for the chickpeas. Cook the chana until the 'gravy' has reduced a little and thickened.

Garnish with coriander leaves (and cottage cheese if you wish) ~ enjoy!