Chana masala (Serves 4)

Needless to say, chana masala is a part and parcel of a typical North Indian house hold that has made its way to the South and has made an indelible impression on the Southeast kitchen table which was monopolized by traditional sambar and dal based curries.This recipe was shared by my dear friend, Divya who lives in Houston and it has become a regular in our home. It’s a very easy to make masala gravy and hope you all will enjoy this wonderful dish..

Chana/chick peas (dried) 1 ½ cups, soaked for ~6 hours
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Red onions 2 big, sliced
Tomato 2 medium, chopped
Garam masala 1 tsp
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Red chilly powder 2 tsp
Cumin powder ½ tsp
Coriander powder 3 tsp
Cashew nuts/almonds 5-8 nos
Salt as needed
Oil 3 tsp, divided

Preparation

Pressure cook the soaked chana with turmeric powder and salt for 2 whistles. Allow pressure to release itself and set aside.

Heat 1 ½ tsp oil in a pan and sauté onions until golden brown. Add the cashew nuts/ almonds and tomatoes. Cook this until tomatoes are soft. Switch off flame and allow to cool. Grind this onion-tomato mixture to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in a pan at medium heat and add the garam masala. Sauté for a minute and add the ginger paste, red chilly powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook this until raw smell from powders are all gone. Add the boiled chana along with the water (if there is no water in the cooked chana add about ½ cup water). Cook till boiling and add the ground onion tomato paste. Mix well and cook to boiling or until gravy is thick. Adjust salt and garnish with coriander leaves..

Cheers!!!
Suji