Kedleston chickpea curry

For a tasty curry that's great for sharing with family and friends, try this chickpea curry recipe from Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. It's inspired by a family recipe of Kedleston's Senior Programming and Partnerships Officer, Simran Sandhu, who wanted the menu at Kedleston to reflect its historic connection with India through its museum collection – collected by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India (1899–1905). Simran’s hearty family recipe has been developed and added to the menu at Kedleston in Derbyshire, with help from Kedleston's Head Chef Georgia Williams. It can also be enjoyed at many of our cafés at the places we look after. With just a few fresh ingredients, seeds and spices, and some kitchen cupboard staples, you can make it at home too.

10 minutes prep. time
1.5 hours cooking time
Serves 5
Soups, stews & curries, Vegetarian

Kedleston chickpea curry in a cooking pot on the table, ready to be served alongside chickpea dhal, rice and samosas | © National Trust Images/William Shaw

2 large red onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
20g (thumb-sized piece) of fresh ginger, finely grated
2–3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
440g potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
3 x 400g tins of chickpeas
200ml water
3 black tea bags
6 green cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
3 tsp soft light brown sugar
1/4 lemon juice
175ml cooking oil

Recipe tip

To ensure that the curry keeps its authentic taste and rich flavour, it's important to follow the cooking times specified in each step.

Step 1

Start by preparing the fresh ingredients: chop the onion; mince the garlic; grate the ginger; finely chop the green chillies and cut the potatoes into cubes.

Step 2

Empty the chickpeas and the liquid from the can into a large pan. Then add the water and tea bags to the pan.

Step 3

Lightly bash the cardamom pods and add them to a spice ball with the cloves – make sure the spice ball is secure then add to the pan. If you don't have a spice ball, you can use a tea bag or tea infuser, cheesecloth or other clean cloth to contain the ingredients. Heat the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Leave to cook for around 30–40 minutes, or until you have a rich brown colour and around half of the water has evaporated.

Step 4

Whilst the chickpeas are cooking, add 125ml of cooking oil to a large pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the black mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds and ground coriander. Stir constantly until the seeds start to pop and crackle, then add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring frequently for around 10 minutes until the onions are transparent and soft.

Step 5

Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies to the onions and stir. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper and stir again. Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Cook for a further 10 minutes over a medium heat.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6).

Step 7

Take the chickpeas off the heat and carefully remove the spice ball and tea bags. Add the onion and tomato mixture into the pan, stir well and add extra water, if needed, to create a thin, textured broth. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for a further 10–15 minutes.

Step 8

Place the diced potatoes into a bowl and then add 50ml of cooking oil and 1tsp of sea salt. Stir to coat and then tip onto a baking tray. Bake for 10–15 minutes at 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6), until they just start to colour.