Chana Masala

[DoctorShavegood]

I saw a version of this on TV the other night. It's made with chickpeas. This is a very good vegetarian dish. This is really just a series of dumps with a few pauses to bloom the spices. I know it seems like there's a lot below, but this thing took me less than 30 minutes to put together. I left out the coconut sugar but added a half a can of coconut milk. Here's one way of making it:



Chana Masala

Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
30 mins

30 minute, 1-pot chana masala with green chili, cilantro, and garam masala. Easy to make, extremely flavorful, and satisfying. A healthy, plant-based meal.
Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Serves: 6
Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) grape seed oil (or sub coconut oil)
• 1 white or yellow onion, finely diced (110 g)
• 1 Tbsp (7 g) ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (3 Tbsp or 16 g)
• 2 Tbsp (12 g) fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup (30 g) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 fresh green chilies, sliced with seeds (I used serrano peppers)
• 1 Tbsp (7 g) ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 28-oz can pureed or finely diced tomatoes (if unsalted, you’ll add more salt to the dish)
• 2 15-ounce (425 g) cans chickpeas, slightly drained
• 1 tsp garam masala* (see instructions for DIY blend)
• 2-3 tsp coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, plus more to taste

Instructions
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Next add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup (240 ml) water (I added ~1/2 cup (120 ml)). You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
5. Increase heat to medium high until it reaches a 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.
6. 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.
7. 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 coconut sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.
8. 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 or brown rice (see my favorite method here), or cauliflower rice. Lastly, my favorite is over roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli (see notes for instructions).
9. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.


Author: Dana from Minimalist Baker

 

[ouch]

Good stuff. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[Proinsias]

Awesome, thanks.

I've been eating far less meat and dairy for the past few months and this is looking good. The diy garam masala step is interesting, will have to try it.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I didn't use the grape seed oil. Instead I used butter and virgin coconut oil. I also took a few laddles of the chickpeas and wizzed them into a food processor then added them back to the pot. It makes for a thicker stew.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Awesome, thanks.

I've been eating far less meat and dairy for the past few months and this is looking good. The diy garam masala step is interesting, will have to try it.

fortunately I can buy it fresh at my local market or Indian market. Try adding a cardamom pod to the mix it adds something different. Also, try adding half a can of coconut milk, it adds a nice creaminess.

 

[cleanshaved]

Sounds and looks really nice Aaron.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Sounds and looks really nice Aaron.

Thanks Chris. This might be something right down your alley. I see no reason that you couldn't add add lamb or shrimps.

 

[cleanshaved]

Thanks Chris. This might be something right down your alley. I see no reason that you couldn't add add lamb or shrimps.

It sounds great as is. There are a lot of nice Indian vegetarian meals. Well there is around 500 million vegetarians in India.
Lamb or prawns work with a masala sauce but its hard to go past a Chicken Tika Masala.

 

[chinmusic82]

Looks delicious!👍🏼. A pinch of asafoetida usually helps when making dhals using channa, rajma and grams.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

 

[TexLaw]

We did something like that a couple weeks ago in the Instant Pot (but adding a few pounds of chicken legs and thighs). The recipe I used called for cream, added after the pressure cooking was done and stirred until it thickens (we used half-and-half because that's what we had). The first thing I thought of was to use coconut milk instead, and that's what we'll do next.

We also used some chickpeas that we had cooked earlier in the week, but in the same amount. Since our lime tree is laying at the moment, we juiced a couple instead of using the lemon juice that was called for. Other than the above, the recipe we used was fairly similar.

Holy cow, was it good! Our boys devoured it!

 

[DoctorShavegood]

We did something like that a couple weeks ago in the Instant Pot (but adding a few pounds of chicken legs and thighs). The recipe I used called for cream, added after the pressure cooking was done and stirred until it thickens (we used half-and-half because that's what we had). The first thing I thought of was to use coconut milk instead, and that's what we'll do next.

We also used some chickpeas that we had cooked earlier in the week, but in the same amount. Since our lime tree is laying at the moment, we juiced a couple instead of using the lemon juice that was called for. Other than the above, the recipe we used was fairly similar.

Holy cow, was it good! Our boys devoured it!

I like the the idea of adding some meat to the recipe too, but for now I'm going to tweak the above recipe and stay more on the vegetarian side. Although, I could see adding a bit of pork sausage in with this hardy dish.

 

[Alacrity59]

Nice. I have to admit that most of the time we have it . . . it comes in microwaveable pouches perfect for two people. Along with some Uncle Ben's bistro rice and a pita or two it makes for a very quick meal. When I make my own I usually make spiced cauliflower and potatoes.

 

[TexLaw]

I have another batch of chickpeas soaking, so this might be on the menu later this week (trying it with the coconut milk).

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I have another batch of chickpeas soaking, so this might be on the menu later this week (trying it with the coconut milk).

God choice Doak. The coconut milk adds a thickness, taste and creaminess. We'll need to see some pictures because...you know.

 

[TexLaw]

Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing how the coconut milk works in there. It seems like a natural choice.

Looking at the recipe I used (from Simply Eats), another difference between it and the one you did, Aaron, is that the one I made called for a pound of trimmed spinach. I very much liked that, too.