Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and ginger and fry gently for a minute or two until fragrant
Add the shallots or onion and chillies followed by the potatoes and stir-fry all together for about 4 minutes until the shallot has softened
Stir into the saucepan the turmeric, mustard seeds, ground coriander, cumin and cardamom. Cook for about a minute or so until the spices are fragrant
Add in the tomato and the chickpeas
Add four tablespoons of water and season the mixture well with salt and pepper
Cover the saucepan and continue cooking over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender
Add a little extra water if necessary
Add the juice of the lemon and the some of the chopped fresh coriander.
Taste to check that you have a nice spicy, sweet, sour and salty taste
Serve garnished with chopped fresh coriander. Accompany with naan bread and/or poppadoms and a yoghurt and cucumber dish: Mix one to two 125ml cartons of natural yoghurt in a bowl with a hint of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add diced cucumber and chopped mint to taste and serve with the Aloo Jeera.