Dinner Tonight: Channa Masala
I've had so many boring versions of channa masala I was little flabbergasted when I came across a version that was delicately spiced, fragrant, and worthy of the spotlight. I was up on Devon Avenue in Chicago at Uru-Swati, an incredible vegetarian Indian restaurant on the north side of the city. I wanted this dish again, but I didn't want to have to make the drive. Could I make this at home?
Sort of. Though this wasn't quite right—it wasn't nearly as thick as it should have been—I still found myself really enjoying this recipe from Recipezaar. It's aromatic and spicy, and an easy vegetarian main when paired with rice. There are better ways, I'm sure. But for ingredients I just picked off my shelf, spice rack, and bottom of my fridge, it's hard to beat.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago. He is the co-founder of The Paupered Chef and spends most of his time playing with the new cooking gadgets he got from his wedding.
Channa Masala
- serves 2 -
Adapted from Recipezaar.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
Procedure
1. Toss the butter in a skillet set over medium heat. When melted, add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir until combined and cook for 30 seconds or so, or until it is very fragrant.
3. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Dump in the chickpeas and the pour in the water. Stir until combined, and then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt, and lemon juice. Cover and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in the ginger and jalapeno. Cook for another 30 seconds. Season with salt if needed.
View other entries from Dinner Tonight.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
13 Comments:
Really good garnished with chopped onion and a little squeeze of lemon. Great with rice, as you noted, as well as pooris and chapatis. I don't make poori at home anymore because I don't like the lingering smell of fried food, but chapatis are very easy to make at home.
LadyMarmalade at 4:13PM on 03/09/09
I love Orangette's (actually, Orangette's husband's) recipe for chana masala. It is incredibly delicious and easy to make -- we make it once a week, it seems.
DianneK at 4:32PM on 03/09/09
I virtually lived off of this recipe in college, and it's still one of my faves. I like adding coconut milk now and again, too. 3 tablespoons chopped tomatoes? That doesn't sound right; I normally would use a whole can...
volkstricken at 6:52PM on 03/09/09
love, love.
you can also make a non-tomato based channa masala, spiced with ground cumin and ground corriander with diced onions, that is semi-dry. its great to eat as an appetizer or with a nice raita and chapathi too.
arathi at 9:20PM on 03/09/09
Thanks for sharing this recipe; it actually looks do-able! I've been wanting to make my own chana for a while now, so it's great to find a recommended recipe.
And hey, I used to have Indian food for lunch once a month up on Devon (I worked in Lincolnshire at the time) back in the early 90s. It's, in fact, where I developed my love for Indian food.
Tamara at BuzzFood
BuzzFood at 1:02AM on 03/10/09
Chana masala needs way more tomatoes than the 3 tbsp you mentioned, you might wanna try something like four medium sized tomatoes for about 50 gm of dried channa, Im not sure how much that is in terms of canned channa though.
Vicky at 2:25AM on 03/10/09
I love this recipe! I have a similar one on Sapna Magazine: http://sapnamagazine.com/?p=374 , however for the tartness, I use tamarind chutney...adds a bit of tart and spiciness :-)
kanwal81 at 8:57AM on 03/10/09
If you crush a few of the chickpeas with the back of your spoon, it releases their starch and thickens the dish.
I tried this last night (plus a few more tomatoes and a cilantro garnish) and it was fantastic.
sloppydelicious at 11:48AM on 03/10/09
This sounds lovely!
Try amchur (dried mango) powder for the tartness instead of lemon juice. And add some kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Yum!
And yes, Channa is really my first name
Channa at 12:21PM on 03/10/09
There are two ways to thicken chana masala -- add a little heavy cream (yum), or, as sloppydelicious suggests, crush some of the chickpeas. We often remove a portion and whiz it up with a stick blender.
And yeah -- more tomatoes! Those should also be crushed or blended at some point.
meeralee at 1:08PM on 03/10/09
I made this last night, and it was really good. I did make a few adjustments though...first, I added a half a can of tomatoes, not just 3T. Secondly, I quadrupled the amount of butter up to a half a stick.
slogger at 2:15PM on 03/12/09
Leaving for Safeway(only store in town)where would garam masala be?and what is it, not familar with Indian food but this recipe sounds so good. Not even sure what Channa masala means!!Anyone out there that can help...Thankyou, coco
cocoloco at 12:59PM on 03/15/09
I couldn't get garam masala, and I don't have time to make it from scratch, so I am going to use a Madras curry powder. I'll have to see how it goes.
amandaonmaui at 10:07PM on 04/14/09