Step 1

In a blender, combine the onion, ginger, and garlic and blend into a smooth puree with 2 tablespoons or more of water. Alternatively, mince the onion, ginger and garlic and set aside.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute or until the seeds change color. Add bay leaves, and cloves and cook until the bay leaf changes color.

Step 3

Add the pureed onion and cook until the onion mixture is dry and does not smell raw (if you dont cook the onion long enough the sauce will taste oniony in the end). Stir occasionally to avoid sticking, 8 to 10 minutes (Cook time will be shorter with minced onion etc vs pureed.). Add cinnamon, garam masala and cayenne and mix well. Add the coconut milk, mango pulp, salt, and mix well.

Step 4

Mix, cover and cook until the sauce comes to a boil, 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and mix in. Reduce the heat to low medium and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens and desired consistency is achieved, 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and tang. Add lemon or vinegar for tang, add 1/2 tsp sugar or maple for sweetness if the mango was not sweet enough. Add a dash of black pepper. At this point you can fold in some baby greens. For creamier, fold in some vegan cream (cashew cream, soy cream etc).

Step 5

Remove the Bay leaf and discard. If you can find the whole cloves, fish them out and discard. Garnish with cilantro and a good dash of garam masala and cayenne and serve hot over rice with roasted vegetables, or with flatbread. You can also add some cubed ripe mango as garnish.