Chana Masala
A robust, tangy chickpea curry from the Punjab. Toasting and grinding your own cumin and coriander is what lifts it from good to memorable.
35 min (+ soaking)
4
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 2 tins, drained)
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes, puréed
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp amchur (dried mango) or a squeeze of lemon
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt, and coriander to finish
Method
- 1
Pressure-cook the soaked chickpeas with salt until tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve the cooking water.
- 2
Dry-roast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, then grind coarsely.
- 3
Heat oil, fry the onions until deep golden, add ginger-garlic paste and cook off the raw smell.
- 4
Add the tomato purée, turmeric, chili and your fresh-ground cumin-coriander. Cook down until the oil separates at the edges.
- 5
Tip in the chickpeas with a little of their water. Simmer 10 minutes, then finish with garam masala and amchur. Mash a few chickpeas against the pan to thicken. Garnish and serve with bhature or rice.
