As much as I love Indian food, prior to today I had never tried
Chana Masala (Savory Indian Chickpeas). Lately I’ve been doing a bit of
experimenting with chickpeas (you may remember my Lemony Salmon with Spiced Chickpeas recipe from last week), and thought I would give this a try. I
quite enjoyed it! I had it as a main dish along with Cilantro Rice,
but I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it as a side, or have it as a featured dish on
an Indian buffet. Next time, to add a touch of sweetness, I’m going to serve it
with raisin-studded Mediterranean Rice Pilaf, a recipe that I will be sharing
soon.
Chana Masala (Savory Indian Chickpeas)
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 (1.5 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 medium cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Pinch Kosher salt
1 9-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Garbanzo Beans
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Place onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth.
Heat olive oil in a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the puréed vegetables into the skillet and cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 3 to 4 minutes.
Bring to a boil and stir garbanzos into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook until they are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 (1.5 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 medium cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Pinch Kosher salt
1 9-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Garbanzo Beans
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Place onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth.
Heat olive oil in a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the puréed vegetables into the skillet and cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 3 to 4 minutes.
Bring to a boil and stir garbanzos into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook until they are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and garnish with cilantro.
Another wonderful Indian vegetable side (or main) dish is Butter Cauliflower Bowls. I make this stuff weekly.
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