Chai Patte Waali Chana (Tea-Simmered Chickpeas)

I was sure that we'd already written that recipe up ages ago, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Hopefully this isn't a duplicate post. I didn't want to risk leaving this one out though. It's one of those things that didn't sound great to me at first, but I really loved once I tried it. The idea of a tea-based curry seemed strange to me and not particularly appealing. The fact it doesn't have much in the way of seasonings beyond the tea and some garlic and ginger didn't do much to reassure me either. But this is a really excellent curry! One of my favourites and one that I recommend to others who want to try a homemade curry but may not yet have an extensive collection of spices.

Chai Patte Waali Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. black tea leaves
• 2 Tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 3 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2-4 fresh green Thai or cayenne chilies, minced
• 3 c. cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• juice of one lime

Directions

1. Bring water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
2. Add tea leaves to boiling water, remove from heat, and set aside to steep for ~5 minutes.
3. Strain out and discard the tea leaves, reserving the tea.
4. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
5. Add cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
6. Add ginger, garlic, and chilies and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add chickpeas, cilantro, salt, and turmeric and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for ~1 minute.
8. Stir in tea and bring to a boil.
9. Lower heat to medium and coo, uncovered, until thickened (~10 minutes).
10. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and serve.