Chana Masala/Chickpeas coated with curry masala

If asked my mom or mother-in-law is chana masala curry a easy one to make? They will say no, because it requires over night soaking chana dal and pressure cooking them for making curry. However, if you ask same question, I will say yes because I always have canned chana and rajma in my pantry, hence I can make chana dishes at any time.

One thing I found out that chana masala goes well with everything, including Algerian flatbread, Trinidad Doubles, Russian blinichki , Sardinian flat bread and Indian paratha and chapathi. I try to experiment my chana masala with switching the masala used to make them, such gram masala sometime, chicken or meat masala some time. Even though I won’t cook chicken and meat I buy the masala combination so that I can try with various veggies. I usually want different taste for each meal; my hubby is fine if he has chapathi and a curry. He will happiest person when he can eat them 3 times a day. I can’t, and need some changes. My baby is also like me, she doesn’t like to eat the same dish every day, and she wants to explore the new tastes. One more thing chana masala from every kitchen is different in taste and appearance. 

I make Chana masala two ways: the first one is cooking chana with half of mashed chana. Other one without mashed chana, usually mashed chana makes the gravy thick. Here goes the recipe. 

What you need

 Chick peas: 2 can (cooked)
Onion: 1 no
Tomato: 2 no
Potato: 1 no
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
Green chili: 1
Gram masala: 1/2 teaspoon
Red chili powder: 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder: ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder: ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds: 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 1/8 teaspoon
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Olive oil : 2 tablespoon
Water : 4 cup
Chopped coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon

How I made

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot and add mustard seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds, when mustards seeds starts spluttering add chopped onion, chopped green chilies and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and fry until onion becomes translucent it takes about 6-7 minutes.

To this onion mixture add ginger- garlic paste and fry them for another 3 minutes. To this add turmeric powder. Chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and fry for another 2 minutes, add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomato become tender and soft, it takes about 3 minutes. To this add chopped potato and 1 ½ cup of water, let it cook for 8 minutes or until the potato cooked tender not mushy.

To onion –tomato potato masala mixture add ¾ of the chick peas along with ½ cup of water.

Mash the rest of chick peas into a fine paste using blender or food processor and add this paste to the above onion-tomato potato chickpeas mixture and rest of water cook for 6-8 minutes or until reach the exact consistency of gravy. Switch of the flame and chopped coriander leaves. 

Enjoy with Rice vermicelli, rice or chapathi.

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Yield: 7 serving
Verdict: Yummy
Will you make it again: Making more often.

Swathi