Chana Masala

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. 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

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Chana Masala