Description

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place them in a saucepan with water to cover, then bring to a boil and simmer until soft. (You can skip this step if your chickpeas are already soft.)
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil or clarified butter over a medium-high flame. Add 2 teaspoons mustard seed, fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds. Cook for about 10-20 seconds until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Immediately add the garlic, onion, and tomato.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the liquid is mostly gone and everything is browning.
4. Drain the chickpeas and add them, with mushrooms, a small amount of the hot pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a cup of water. It will be soupy.
5. Cook uncovered over a medium-low flame for about 15 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Does it need more salt? More lemon juice? A bit more cayenne? Finish for the texture you want.
6. In a separate skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over a high flame and fry remaining 1 teaspoon mustard seeds until they pop. (This is called tempering, and is a great way to add a final layer of flavor.) Toss the contents of that skillet over the chickpeas, garnish with cilantro, and serve.