Chana Masala
A healthy and spicy chickpea curry fit for vegetarians, vegans and meat lovers!
Ingredients
- 1 can Chickpeas plain
- 1 tsp Ginger & garlic paste (or finely chopped)
- 1 large Onion
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 Clove
- 1 Cardamom Pod
- 1 tin Crushed tomatoes (or two finely chopped tomatoes)
- 1 Lime
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Fresh cilantro Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red chilly powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- *Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse out the chickpeas/garbanzo beans in a colander or sieve and set aside.
- Next, finely chop up the onion (either in a chopper or by hand). If you’re using fresh ginger and garlic as well as whole tomatoes, chop those up as well.
- In a non-stick frying pan, warm up some sunflower or vegetable oil on medium/high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the whole spices (bay leaf, clove and cardamom) and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Then, add in the chopped onions and fry for 5 mins or until slightly browned.
- When the onions are browned, add in the ginger and garlic mixture and stir in for an extra minute to get rid of the raw taste.
- Now, add in the crushed or chopped tomatoes and fry for another 3-4 minutes on medium/high heat.
- After that, add in the powdered spices (turmeric, chilly, garam and coriander powder) including salt and fry off the spices for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2-3 cups of water and slowly stir to make sure the dry curry mixture blends with the liquid. This should happen almost instantly and does not require a whisk.
- Combine the chickpeas and stir carefully. Cover with a lid on low heat until the gravy thickens. This usually takes 10-15 minutes but do keep an eye on it.
- After the gravy has thickened, squeeze a fresh lime sprinkle some cilantro on top to garnish.
- Serve hot with chapatis or rice with yoghurt (can be plant based) on the side.