Quick Vegan Chana Masala

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds (scale back a little if you’re not crazy about cumin)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pressed or minced fresh garlic (about 5 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
• 1 green Serrano pepper, minced (seed it first if you want to tame the spice level)
• 1½ teaspoons garam masala (or tikka masala)
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
• 2 cans (14 ounces each) chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, for serving (rice is optional, I like to cook extra rice to have on hand for other meals)
• Lemon wedges, for garnishing
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnishing (optional)