Recipe: Chana Masala
- The Honest Project
- Jul 1, 2016
- 2 min read
Chana masala is my favourite Indian dish and it is also my ‘go to’ dish when I want something warm, comforting and easy to make. At first glance the long ingredient list might give you the impression that this is a complicated recipe, but it’s actually just the opposite. Many of the ingredients are spices which hopefully you have built up a supply of in your cupboard. I have added red pepper and potato to this chana masala just because I wanted to make it a little more filling, but a traditional chana masala doesn’t include these and they can be left out without if you prefer. I use tinned chickpeas in this recipe, but of course you can soak and cook your own from scratch too. Like wise I use tinned whole plum tomatoes as I think this is the most practical option for most people. I should also mention that this is a one pot dish which makes it ideal for any of us with an aversion to washing up.
I like to serve this with lightly steamed broccoli and coconut yoghurt but it can also be served with brown rice and natural yoghurt.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, minced
2 green chillis, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 medium potato, finely diced
A small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice
To serve:
A small handful of freshly chopped coriander
Method
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and fry for a minutes stirring. Add the onion and turn the heat down and cook for five minutes, stirring regularly. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, red pepper, potato and fresh coriander and cook for a further two minutes. Add the ground spices and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the chickpeas, whole plum tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt. Break down the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
To serve, top with some chopped coriander leaves.
