Honestly, the hardest part about this recipe is pulling out all the spices. If you dont have them, well that would make it even harder. The amchur (dried mango powder), is something probably not a lot of people have in their pantry. You can omit it or you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice in its place. This will add a bit of tang like the amchur. If you like Indian, it really is worth the investment in spices. So many meals can be cooked up pretty quick. We really loved this dish. I brought it into work for a potluck. Everyone who tried it, liked it. A big hit! CHANA MASALA 2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil 2 yellow onions, finely diced (2 cups) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 thumb size piece of ginger, minced or grated 1 to 4 whole dried red chilies, depending on the heat you like 3 green cardamon pods 3 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon amchoor* (dried mango powder) 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne