Chickpea Curry - Chana Masala

 I first made this years ago and crave it every now and then. While I prefer doing as much as possible from scratch, I have to admit to recently buying large jars of fresh crushed garlic and ginger mixed from an Indian supermarket which is close to our home. Its a bit of a game changer in making recipes like this really quickly.

I served this with homemade Naan bread and another potato and spinach curry both on my original recipe blog.

Great served with Indian Spiced Rice...and other dishes we cook as part of our Indian Feasts!

This is the story behind the dish for my family...

Our family is lucky to have an ongoing friendship with an Indian family who cared for Isabella in their home when I initially went back to work. We loved the fact that she was spending her days with a family who lived differently to us in many ways. One of the great things was giving her a 'taste' for different foods. One of her favourite foods is roti and she loves popcorn flavoured with turmeric. We were lucky to be recipients of many meals and dishes cooked by Minakshi who is an amazing cook.

When the time came for Isabella to move to another carer, we wanted to do something to show our immense gratitude for the important part this family had played in Isabella's life. One way to do this was in the form of a gift, the other was to cook a really authentic vegetarian Indian meal for the Satija family.

I experimented for weeks with some successes and some absolute disasters. This dish was one that is similar to one that Minakshi had made us in the past (although never quite as good as her version). 

The beauty of this dish is that it can be made earlier in the day and then the final step which takes about 10 minutes can be completed just before eating.

Chana Masala -Chickpea Curry Recipe Ingredients

Chana Masala

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon asafoetida (optional)

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 green chilli, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons garam masala

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon amchoor powder

2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup water

Ginger Paste

5cm piece ginger, peeled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive)

Garlic Paste

2 bulbs garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive)

Method

Chana Masala Heat a medium saucepan over a moderate heat and add the ghee. When melted, add the cumin, asafoetida, if using, and black mustard seeds. When the seeds start popping and become fragrant, add the onion and fry until soft (around 10 minutes). Add the ginger, garlic and chilli, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric and amchoor powder, stir for a minute then add the chickpeas, stirring well to combine. Add the salt and water, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serves 4 as part of a meal. Ginger Paste Use a mortar and pestle (or food processor) to pound the ginger to a paste. Place in a small container, cover with oil and keep refrigerated. Garlic Paste Use a mortar and pestle (or food processor) to pound the garlic to a paste. Place in a small container, cover with oil and keep refrigerated.