Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
The ever popular vegetarian Indian dish featuring tender garbanzo beans in a rich, fragrant, and deliciously flavorful sauce!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans soaked in a pot of water overnight (covered by at least 3 inches of water), then rinsed and drained. Equivalent to about 3 1/2 cans (15 oz each) of garbanzo beans.
- 2 tablespoons ghee vegan: use oil of choice
- 1 large yellow onion , chopped
- 1 green chili pepper , seeds and membrane discarded, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes , diced
- 2 tablespoons natural ketchup (can substitute tomato paste with 1/2 teaspoon sugar)
- 4 cups chicken broth (vegetarian/vegan: use vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Spice Blend:
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- OR 3 tablespoons Homemade Curry Powder (alternatively you can substitute the whole spices in the Spice Blend for 3 tablespoons of my homemade curry powder. If you use store-bought make sure it's a really good one)
Instructions
- To make the spice blend: Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat and add all the whole spices. Toast for 3-4 minutes or until the spices become very fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely, then transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
- Add the ghee to a Dutch oven or heavy pot and cook the onions until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and green chili and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground spice mixture (or curry powder alternative if using) along with the turmeric and asafoetida and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and ketchup and cook for another 5 minutes.Add the chickpeas, broth, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are nice and tender, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if the curry gets too dry. Add salt to taste. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for another minute.
- Serve immediately or the following day after the flavors have had more time to meld (it's even better the next day). Serve with some fresh naan bread, jasmine rice, and a cool cucumber or leafy green salad.Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 21gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1784mgPotassium: 1145mgFiber: 20gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1091IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 156mgIron: 8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!