1 cups whole dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 4 to 5 cups water (3 cups if you're using a pressure cooker) 3 tablespoons vegetable

ble oil or ghee (clarified butter) for frying spices 1 teaspoons scraped, minced fresh ginger root 1 teaspoons seeded, minced fresh hot green chilies 1 teaspoons cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds 8 to 12 small fresh or dried curry leaves, if available 5 medium-size, firm ripe tomatoes, diced into small pieces 1 teaspoons turmeric 1 teaspoons chat masala, if available (try an Indian grocery) 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (try an Indian grocery) 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves or coriander leaves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoons butter or ghee for flavoring 5 or 6 lemon or lime wedges or twists 1. Place the chickpeas in a 1-quart bowl, pour in 3 cups of water, and soak over night (about 8 hours) at room temperature. 2. Drain the soaked chickpeas in a colander, place them in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, add 4 to 5 cups water and a dab of ghee or vegetable oil, and bring t o a full boil over a high flame. Reduce the flame to medium low, cover with a ti ght-fitting lid, and gently boil for 2 to 3 hours, or until the chickpeas are bu tter-soft but not broken down. If you're using a pressure cooker, combine the sa me ingredients in the cooker but use only 3 cups of water. Cover and cook under pressure for 30 to 35 minutes. 3. Remove from the flame (reduce pressure if necessary), uncover, and stir. 4. Over a medium to medium-high flame, heat 3 tablespoons of ghee or vegetable o il in a heavy 3-quart saucepan for 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the minced ginger, seeded green chilies, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds, and fry for about 30 to 45 seconds, or until the cumin seeds turn golden brown. 5. Drop in the curry leaves and, 1 or 2 seconds later, stir in the diced tomatoe s. Add the turmeric powder, half the minced fresh herbs, chat masala, and garam masala. Stir-fry over a medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes, sprinkling in water whe n necessary, until the ghee or oil separates from the sauce and the texture is s mooth and even. 6. Use a slotted spoon to add the chickpeas, and then transfer to the saucepan 2 to 3 tablespoons of the water in which you cooked the chickpeas. Reduce the fla me to low, cover, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and, if necessary, adding small quantities of the cooking water to keep the mixt ure from sticking to the saucepan. 7. Remove from the flame and add the salt, 1 tablespoons of butter or ghee, and the remaining fresh herbs. Before offering to Krishna, garnish each portion with a wedge or twist of lemon or lime.