Chana Masala

Good food and good company are the perfect combo to celebrate the long weekend. I’d always like to have crowd around me, I enjoy the good talk, food and some game to double the enjoyment. But sometimes, after hectic work schedule or some routine errands on weekends consume lot of time and energy…and that make it difficult to decide what to make in jiffy which is not only easy to make but also suitable for the crowd. When you have all age people invited for weekend party, the Chana Masala could be a life (or rather party) saver. It’s a famous Indian dish served with Kulcha, paratha, bhatura or Puri or even with rice. It goes certainly with anything and everything, loved by everyone.

The good thing of this dish- it is so satisfying and tummy filling. For this you may need to soak chickpeas in advance, it many need more time for preparation but now a days, you can get/buy canned (Ready to eat/use) chickpeas available at any supermarket or local grocery stores. So, if you missed the soaking part, it’s OKAY!!!!, still you can go ahead and prepare this Chana Masala on the day of an event. Chickpeas is the good source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber and many more vitamins. It’s also called as garbanzo beans and widely used in various Mediterranean dishes. This Indian style Chana Masala could be the tasty option for you and your guest.

Now, let me take you to the other uses of leftover Chana Masala or cooked chickpeas. Sometimes it happens that you bought extra cans of chickpeas or soaked more than required amount or guests didn’t show up for some reasons, in that scenario you can make samosa chat, kachori chat or Fafda chat or even make Basket chat, or chickpea salad, hummus or falafel. You have so many options. So, in a nutshell it’s a safe play. I love how I have so many options to make something out of leftovers, and i.e. damage control :0 (meaning no wastage of food)

You will need:

• 1 Cup White Chickpeas Soaked overnight/ Cooked Canned Chickpeas
• 3 Tbs Oil
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 2 Dried Red Chili
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 small finely chopped Onions
• 2 small Tomato puree
• 2 Tsp Ginger garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 Tsp Chole Masala
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1 Tsp Chilli powder
• 1/4 Tsp Tumeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Dried Mango Powder
• 2 Tsp Coriander Cumin Seed Powder
• 2 Tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves

Make it:

• In a pressure cooker add soaked chickpeas with water and 1 tsp salt. Pressure cook them for 3 whistles.
• Let the pressure cooker cool down completely, drain the chickpeas and keep them aside.
• Now, in a deep non stick pan add oil, heat it up, once oil is hot enough add cumin seeds, dried chillies and asafoetida.
• When seeds crackle add finely chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste. Saute on medium flame until onions turn light brown or translucent in color.
• Now, add tomato puree and cook them for 5-7 min.
• Add all the spices- Dried mango powder, chili powder, Coriander-cumin seeds powder, Chana masala, Garam Masala, turmeric powder. Cook them for a min.
• Add cooked chickpeas, 1 Cup water and salt to taste.
• Mix everything well, Mash few chickpeas with the help of spatula while stirring, close the lid and cook it for 10 min. Switch off the flame and add dried fenugreek leaves on top of it. Mix everything well.
• Serve hot with hot bowl of rice or Roti or Bhatura.

Enjoy.

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