Ingredients: |
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
¾ tsp. sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced (3 tbsp. or 16 g)
2 tbsp. (12 g) fresh ginger, minced
½ 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 ounce 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
2-3 tsp. coconut sugar
2 tbsp. (30 ml) lemon juice, plus more to taste
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Directions: |
Directions:Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, cumin, and ¼ tsp salt.
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.) Add to the pan with the onions.
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.
Add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining ½ tsp salt. If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup (240 ml) water (I added ~½cup (120 ml)). You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
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.
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 ½ tsp ground black pepper), 1 tsp. cumin seeds (or ½ tsp. ground cumin), 1 tsp. cardamom pods (or ½ tsp ground cardamom), ½ tsp. cloves (or ¼ tsp. ground cloves), and ⅛ tsp. nutmeg to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind/mix into a powder. Set aside.
When the chickpea 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.
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 cauliflower rice. My favorite is over roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli.
Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. |
This recipe for Masala Chickpeas is from