Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

In my hometown, chana masala is also called Amritsari Chole. It originates from Punjab -

North Western India- but is popular all across the country. It comprises of chickpeas

smothered in a spicy, thick gravy. It is often served best with bhature, which is a deep-fried

Indian bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp grape seed oil (or sub coconut oil)

• 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced

• 1 Tbsp ground cumin

• ¾ tsp sea salt (divided // plus more to taste)

• 6 cloves garlic, minced (6 cloves yield ~3 Tbsp)

• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 2-3 fresh green chillies, sliced with seeds (I used serrano peppers, reduce the amount if you prefer less heat)

• 1 Tbsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 28-ounce can be pureed or finely diced tomatoes (if unsalted, you’ll add more salt to the dish)

• 2 fifteen-ounce cans of chickpeas, slightly drained

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 2-3 tsp coconut sugar

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, cumin, and one-third of the salt 

2. Add garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chillies to pulse into a paste, you can use a food processor. Alternatively, just finely mince. Then, add to the pan with the onions.

3. Next add ground coriander, chilli 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 the remaining salt. If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup of water.

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 chillies, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp cardamom pods, 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, chilli powder for heat, or a bit of coconut sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chillies.

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, or bhature.

Serves: 4