Chickpea curry

Ingredients

250 g	Ripe tomatoes, hulled and coarsely chopped
1 piece	Fresh ginger, 5cm, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cloves	Garlic, coarsely chopped
2	Thai green chillies, or 1/4 to 1/2 jalapeno (optional, seeds removed if desired)
1 cup	Coriander leaves, and stems
1 Tbsp	Ground coriander
2 tsp	Ground cumin
½ tsp	Ground turmeric
½ tsp	Cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp	Salt
1 cup	Water, plus 6 Tbsp
3 Tbsp	Canola oil
1	Cinnamon stick, 7cm
5	Green cardamom pods, smashed with the flat side of a knife
2	Fresh bay leaves
1	Medium onion, diced
2	Medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 tins	Chickpeas, (400g each), rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Combine the tomato, ginger, garlic, chilies, if using, cilantro, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, 1 tsp of the salt and 6 tablespoons of the water in a blender or food processor. Puree to form a smooth, pourable sauce.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaves; stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, then add the onion and potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens and the potatoes begin to turn golden.
3. Stir in the pureed sauce, so the onion and potatoes are well coated. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover long enough to stir in the chickpeas, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 cup of water. Once the mixture begins to bubble, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (If the curry is bubbling too vigorously, reduce the heat to low.)
4. Allow the curry to cool for a few minutes, then discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Serve warm.