Chana masala from dried chana with fresh masala

Soak 500 g dried chana covered by a couple of inches of water from morning to afternoon.

In a dry pan put 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp each coriander seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, a black cardamom pod and a scrap of cinnamon stick; toast on medium until fragrant.

Cool, then pulse smooth in a spice grinder, making about a heaped tablespoon of masala.

Boil the chana in their soaking water, topped up, with about a teaspoon of salt, uncovered, about half an hour until just tender; no baking soda.

Chop an onion, tomatoes, a couple of serrano chilies, a few big garlic cloves (peeled) and a big thumb of peeled ginger into rough chunks.

In the widest frying pan on medium, fry the fresh masala and turmeric in ghee until fragrant; add the garlic and ginger for a little color, then all the other vegetables.

Stir constantly until the water evaporates and things brown; before the fond burns, add a little water to clean the pan.

Puree in a food processor as smooth as possible; optionally push through a fine mesh strainer.

In the washed pan, fry green cardamom pods and bay leaves in more ghee until fragrant, then fry a big squeeze of tomato paste.

Stir in the puree and the chana with all their cooking water; simmer at least 15 minutes so the starch thickens the sauce.

Grind dried mango slices fine and stir in as the finishing acid; let rehydrate a couple of minutes.

Season with a big pinch of sugar and more salt; thin with water as it thickens on cooling; stir in handfuls of cilantro.

Boil basmati rice in heavily salted water like pasta, 15 minutes at most; drain in a strainer and let it steam off a minute.