Print Recipe
Copy LinkChana Masala
Servings: 6
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas
3 qt water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Masala:
2 cup yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 inch piece ginger peeled and roughly chopped
2 serrano peppers, stem removed sliced
pinch of kosher salt
2 TBSP peanut oil (or ghee if you have it)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp gram masala
1 tsp turmeric
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup vegetable broth
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped roughly
2 cups cooked basmati rice
warm naan bread
Directions
1. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add the chickpeas. Cover and turn off the heat, leave for 1 hour.
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them. Place them back in the pot and cover with 2 quarts of water and the 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if needed. Once tender reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid then drain and set aside.
3. In a food processor pulse the: onion, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, pinch of kosher salt into a puree.
4. In a heavy bottom pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring constantly at first and then often until well soften, do not burn, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Add the dry spices: cumin, chili powder, coriander, gram masala, turmeric and stir in to the paste. Cook for about 3 minutes adding a splash of chick pea water if the pan becomes too dry.
6. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the chick peas and the remaining reserved chick pea liquid cook for 15-20 minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and half the cilantro. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed.
8. Serve over hot basmati rice with naan bread.
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them. Place them back in the pot and cover with 2 quarts of water and the 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if needed. Once tender reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid then drain and set aside.
3. In a food processor pulse the: onion, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, pinch of kosher salt into a puree.
4. In a heavy bottom pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring constantly at first and then often until well soften, do not burn, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Add the dry spices: cumin, chili powder, coriander, gram masala, turmeric and stir in to the paste. Cook for about 3 minutes adding a splash of chick pea water if the pan becomes too dry.
6. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the chick peas and the remaining reserved chick pea liquid cook for 15-20 minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and half the cilantro. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed.
8. Serve over hot basmati rice with naan bread.
Notes/Tips
If you want to cut down on prep time you can substitute 2 (15 ounce) cans of garbanzo beans and eliminate Step 1.