Chana Masala

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I've been meaning to try to make a chana masala for awhile, and today I found a nice recipe in Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen that I adapted slightly, using wisdom from Munira, some canned tomatoes since I didn't have enough fresh, and adding cilantro and mushrooms, which I love in masala. It was super good!

Ingredients

4 C chickpeas (2 cans, or 2 cups dried, cooked in instant pot)

2 fresh tomatoes
2" knob of ginger
6 garlic cloves
1 hot chili pepper
1 tsp lemon juice

2 T canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp salt

8 oz mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 C cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili
2 tsp masala powder or garam masala (or both! I used both, including some of Munira's homemade garam masala mix plus part of a masala packet from an Indian store)

2 1/2 C water

Instructions

In a blender or grinder (I use the smaller cup that comes with my Ninja blender), combine 1/2 C chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin, and hing, cook a minute, and then add onion and salt. Fry 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, can of diced tomatoes, and cilantro. Mix well, and then add turmeric, chili powder, and masala powder.  Mix well and cook for a minute.

Add the pureed tomato-chickpea mixture. Cook partially covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low and cook another 10-15 minutes. The tomato and spices will start to smell roasted.

Add the cooked chickpeas and water. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Garnish with cilantro, minced onion, and lemon juice, and serve hot.



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