Drain and rinse the 800 g jarred or canned chickpeas. If using whole canned tomatoes, drain liquid if desired and crush the 3 whole canned tomatoes by hand or in a bowl; if using 300 g canned chopped tomatoes, leave them as-is. Put the 3 onions (cut into quarters), 3 garlic cloves and 2 cm fresh ginger (peeled) into a food processor and pulse until creamy but still slightly chunky. If you don't have a food processor, finely mince the onions and garlic and grate the ginger. Have the 380 g steamed jasmine or basmati rice warmed and ready to serve.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the processed onion–garlic–ginger mixture to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.

Stir in ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and a generous pinch of fine sea salt. If using, add 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper now. Cook and stir for 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices, adding a tablespoon of water if the mixture starts to stick.

Add the tomatoes to the pan. If you used whole tomatoes, use the back of a spoon to break them up in the pan; if you used chopped tomatoes, just stir them in. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes start to soften and form a chunky sauce.

Add the drained chickpeas, 150 g spinach leaves, and 300 ml hot water or vegetable stock. Stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has wilted and the chickpeas are heated through. Taste and add more fine sea salt if needed.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. If using, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon amchoor powder and stir to combine. Adjust cayenne or salt to taste.

Serve the curry over or alongside the 380 g steamed rice. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve with lemon wedges.