Chickpea crumble cake

Serves 4–6 For the dal: 180g dried split chickpeas 7.5cm of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 green chillies, stems removed 3 garlic cloves

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda For the seasoning: 4 tbsp oil

1½ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp asafoetida 5 dried red chillies 2 tbsp sugar

¾ tsp ground turmeric For the Green Garlic Chutney: 120g chopped coriander

3 garlic cloves

2 green chillies, stems removed To serve: 45–60g nylon sev (thin crunchy noodles)

15g chopped coriander 115g pomegranate seeds

1 Put the chickpeas and 350ml of water in a bowl. Soak for 2 hrs.

2 Place the ginger, chillies and garlic in a food processor and blitz for 40–50 secs. Add the soaked chickpeas and water, along with the bicarbonate of soda, a pinch of salt and 6 tbsp of fresh water. Blitz for 10–15 secs to achieve a coarse consistency, then set aside.

3 Place a heatproof 28cm plate into a steamer and pour in the mixture. Cover and steam for

15–18 mins. Remove the plate and allow the mixture to cool. Crumble it with your hands then set aside.

4 For the seasoning, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Once they start to crackle, add the asafoetida and dried chillies. Add the sugar and 125ml water and cook for 1-2 mins. Tip in the dal mixture and the turmeric and stir well to combine. Add another 185ml water and cover the pan, cook over a low heat for 4–5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add another 2–4 tbsp of water if the mix looks dry, then transfer to a serving bowl. 5 To make the green garlic chutney, place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Add 2-3 tbsp water if needed.

6 Garnish with the nylon sev, coriander and pomegranate seeds and serve warm with green garlic chutney and lime wedges.

Taken from From Gujarat with

Love by Vina Patel (Pavilion Books). Photography: Jonathan Lovekin