Madra

Ingredients

• 7 ozchickpeasdried, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
• 2½ cupsWaterfor cooking the chickpeas
• 15¾ ozYogurtfull-fat, whisked smooth
• 3 tbspgheefor tempering the spices
• 1Cinnamonabout 3 cm
• 4Cloveswhole or roughly crushed
• 1black cardamomwhole
• 2green cardamomwhole
• 1bay leaves
• 1 tspCumin seedstempered in the fat
• 1 pinchasafoetida
• 1 tspTurmeric
• 1½ tspcoriander
• 1 tspChilimild, for colour
• 1 tspGaram masala
• ½ tspCumin
• Saltto taste
• 1 tspfennel seedstempered with the whole spices (optional)
• 1 tbspRice flourwhisked into the yogurt to keep it from splitting (optional)
• almonds, raisins, grated coconutfor garnish, as desired (optional)
• fresh corianderfor garnish (optional)

Method

1. Soak the chickpeasSoak the dried chickpeas overnight, about 8 hours, in plenty of water.
2. Cook the chickpeas until tenderDrain the chickpeas, then cook them in fresh water with a little salt until tender (a pressure cooker works well) and drain them thoroughly.
3. Get the yogurt readyWhisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth. If you want extra insurance against it splitting later, whisk in the rice flour now.
4. Toast the whole spicesHeat the ghee in a heavy pot. Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, cinnamon stick, cloves, black and green cardamom and the Indian bay leaf, plus the fennel seeds if you're using them, and fry briefly until fragrant.
5. Stir in the ground spicesStir in the turmeric, ground coriander, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala and ground cumin, and let them toast for just a few seconds so nothing burns.
6. Add the chickpeasAdd the cooked chickpeas and toss them well with the spices until every one is coated.
7. Work in the yogurtTurn the heat right down and add the yogurt a little at a time, stirring constantly, so the sauce stays smooth.
8. Simmer the sauce downLet everything simmer gently over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the fat starts to separate at the edges.
9. Season and serveRemove the Indian bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Season with salt, garnish with almonds, raisins, grated coconut and fresh coriander if you like, and serve with rice or roti.

Tips and variations

Kidney beans (rajma) or black-eyed peas are a good swap for the chickpeas. Some cooks reduce the yogurt in the fat first, stirring all the while, and only add the chickpeas afterwards; others simmer the whole spices along with the chickpeas while they cook. When you're short on time, a quick version with canned chickpeas, Greek yogurt and a little ginger does the job. Coconut oil or vegetable oil can stand in for the ghee. To serve, scatter over almonds, raisins and grated coconut if you like, and put out plenty of rice or warm roti alongside.