Chana Masala (Punjabi Chole)

Chana Masala

·                     Yield: 6 Servings    Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: 25 minutes  Total Time: 30 minutes

·                     Course: Main Course

Chana Masala (Punjabi Chole) is a curry dish from the Punjab region of India featuring chick peas (garbanzo beans) and chilies. 

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp grape seed oil (or sub coconut oil)
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp sea salt (divided // plus more to taste)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (6 cloves yield ~3 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2-3 fresh green chilies, sliced with seeds
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Finely diced tomatoes or 1 can of tinned chopped tomatoes (if unsalted, you’ll add more salt to the dish)
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, slightly drained
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2-3 tsp coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander (chopped)

Instructions

1.    Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, cumin, and one-third of the salt (1/4 tsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).

2.    Add garlic, ginger, coriander (leave a handful for garnishing), and green chilies to a mortar and pestle and grind into a rough paste (or use a small food processor to pulse into a paste. Alternatively, just finely mince.) Then, add to the pan with the onions.

3.    Next add ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to coat. Add a little more oil at this point if the pan is looking dry.

4.    Next add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining salt (1/2 tsp as original recipe is written). If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup (240 ml) water (I added ~1/2 cup (120 ml) // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.

5.    Increase heat to medium high until it reaches a rolling simmer, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and maintain a simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, or until thick and stew-like. Stir occasionally.

6.    When the chana masala is thickened and bubbly, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, chili powder for heat, or a bit of coconut sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.

7.    Remove from heat and add lemon juice and garam masala. Stir to mix, then let it cool slightly before serving. 

8.    Garnish with the coriander.  Traditionally eaten with Bhatura or Puri (deep fried puff bread), but can also be enjoyed with rice, naan or chapatti (roti).