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Chana masala

Chana masala
Photo: Seena.ge, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

For 4 servings. 1 serving = 1 adult; a 6-year-old eats about half.

  • White chickpeas (dried)180 g
  • Brown onions160 g (~1 medium)
  • Tomatoes200 g (~1½ medium)
  • Ginger10 g
  • Garlic6 cloves
  • Coriander powder1 tbsp
  • Kashmiri chilli powder1½ tsp
  • Garam masala1½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder¼ tsp
  • Coriander leaves8 g
  • Sunflower or rice-bran oil1 tbsp
  • Salt1 tsp
  • Lebanese cucumbers1

You need

  • Pressure cooker (3–5 L)
  • Kadai or deep sauté pan with lid
  • Sharp knife and chopping board
  • Potato masher or fork
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method

  1. Ahead (the night before): rinse 180 g chickpeas and soak them in 800 ml (about 3¼ cups) cold water overnight.
  2. Ahead (or on the weekend): drain, put them in the pressure cooker with 600 ml (about 2½ cups) water, and cook on medium-high until the first whistle, then medium for 4 more whistles. Let the pressure drop by itself. They should squash easily between two fingers. Freeze in portions with the cooking water if cooking ahead.
  3. Finely chop 160 g (~1 medium) onion and 200 g (~1½ medium) tomato. Grate or finely chop 10 g ginger and 6 cloves garlic.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the kadai on medium. Add the onion and cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden brown.
  5. Add the ginger and garlic and stir 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook 4 minutes until mushy.
  6. Turn to low. Add ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1½ tsp chilli powder, 1½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Stir 1 minute until the oil starts to separate at the edges.
  7. Add the chickpeas with their cooking water, plus 240 ml (about 1 cup) water if it looks dry. Mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
  8. Simmer on medium with the lid half on for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Scatter over chopped 8 g coriander leaves.
  9. Slice 1 cucumber to serve on the side.

Tips

  • Tinned chickpeas work in a hurry: use 2½ times the dried weight, drained, and add water instead of cooking water.
  • For a toddler, mash a few chickpeas with a spoon of plain yoghurt to cool it down. Good in a thermos for the next day's lunch.

Make it easier

  • Weekend: Soak white chickpeas Saturday, pressure-cook Sunday. Freeze in portions.

Keeping and freezing

  • Fridge: keeps 3 days in a lidded box. Cool it within an hour of cooking.
  • Freezer: freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot.

Good to know

  • Toddlers: take their portion out before adding chilli or pepper.