Rinse out the chickpeas/garbanzo beans in a colander or sieve and set aside.
Next, finely chop up the onion (either in a chopper or by hand). If you’re using fresh ginger and garlic as well as whole tomatoes, chop those up as well.
In a non-stick frying pan, warm up some sunflower or vegetable oil on medium/high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add in the whole spices (bay leaf, clove and cardamom) and sauté for 30 seconds.
Then, add in the chopped onions and fry for 5 mins or until slightly browned.
When the onions are browned, add in the ginger and garlic mixture and stir in for an extra minute to get rid of the raw taste.
Now, add in the crushed or chopped tomatoes and fry for another 3-4 minutes on medium/high heat.
After that, add in the powdered spices (turmeric, chilly, garam and coriander powder) including salt and fry off the spices for 2-3 minutes.
Add 2-3 cups of water and slowly stir to make sure the dry curry mixture blends with the liquid. This should happen almost instantly and does not require a whisk.
Combine the chickpeas and stir carefully. Cover with a lid on low heat until the gravy thickens. This usually takes 10-15 minutes but do keep an eye on it.
After the gravy has thickened, squeeze a fresh lime sprinkle some cilantro on top to garnish.
Serve hot with chapatis or rice with yoghurt (can be plant based) on the side.
