Chana Masala
Chana masala is a North Indian curried dish made with white chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. ‘Chana’ is a Hindi word for ‘chickpeas’ and ‘Masala’ here refers to a ‘spiced gravy’. So Chana Masala is nothing but chickpeas simmered in a spicy onion tomato masala. Though the dish originated in the Punjab region of India, it is made in numerous ways across the Indian sub-continent. So Chana masala is a common term that refers to a chickpea curry.
Cuisine: Indian Prep: 5 min Cook: 25 min Total: 30 min Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:
1 ½ tablespoons grape seed or canola oil
½ medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
½ tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoons sea salt (plus more to taste)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-1 ½ fresh green chilies, sliced with seeds (reduce if you prefer less heat)
½ tablespoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ 28-ounce can pureed or finely diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce cans chickpeas, slightly drained
½ teaspoon garam masala* (see instructions for DIY blend)
1-1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus more to taste)
Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, diced onion, cumin, and half amount of sea salt.
Add garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chilies to a mortar and pestle and grind into a rough paste (or use a small food processor to pulse into a paste).
Alternatively, just finely mince. Then, add to the pan with the onions.
Next, add ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to coat. Add a little more oil at this point if the pan is looking dry.
Next, add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining salt. If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup water. You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
Increase heat to medium high until it reaches rolling simmer, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and maintain a simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, or until thick and stew-like. Stir occasionally.
In the meantime, if you don’t have garam masala seasoning, make your own by adding 2 small dried red chilies, 1 tsp black peppercorns (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper), 1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin), 1 tsp cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom), 1/2 tsp cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves), and 1/8 tsp nutmeg to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind/mix into a powder. Set aside.
When the chana masala is thickened and bubbly, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, chili powder for heat, or a bit of sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and garam masala. Stir to mix, then let cool slightly before serving. Fresh cilantro and lemon juice make an excellent garnish. Chana masala can be enjoyed as a stew on its own, or it can be delicious with white, brown, or cauliflower rice.
Feel free to add more vegetables to the recipe…over roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts…to reinvent the dish your way! Enjoy!
Make Your Own Garam Masala (makes about 1/4 cup):
Garam masala is best when added at the end of cooking and can even be sprinkled on a dish when serving. This mix can then be used in curries, lentils, soups or just sprinkled in some scrambled tofu.
2 small dried red chilies
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin)
1 teaspoon cardamom pods (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom)
1/2 teaspoon cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
*Add to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind/mix into a powder