Easy Chana Masala
This chana masala recipe is quite similar to our coconut lentil curry recipe, but has the extra step of making a tadka. The tadka is essentially just toasting the spices to mellow out their flavour and help them blend nicely into the rest of the dish. It also makes the food smell really aromatic!
The overall cooking process of this chana masala is relatively simple. You basically toss a bunch of things in a pot and let the flavours marry. The only part of this recipe that takes some work is preparing all the ingredients.
Cooks that don't usually make Indian dishes may be missing a couple of the spices listed in the ingredients section. This isn't a huge deal, as long as you aren't missing more than half, I'd still go ahead and experiment with what you do have. However, if you plan on making more Indian dishes in the future, I would recommend visiting your nearest south asian grocery store to pick up whatever you might be missing from this recipe, because the spices used in this chana masala are common to many dishes of this cuisine.
We really like this dish because its very easy to freeze any extras to later whip out when you need a quick meal.
- 100 grams spinach
- 280 grams finely diced onions (2 medium onions)
- 398 milliliters coconut milk (full fat. 1 can)
- 540 milliliters chickpeas (2 cans)
- 720 grams diced tomato (5 medium)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2.5 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 inch knob of ginger grated
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola is good)
Add olive oil to coat base of pan and cook onions in a large heavy pan (use a large pot if no large pan is available). Add 2 pinches of salt to help the onions sweat. 10 min.
While the onions are cooking, heat ghee and canola oil in a small pan until shimmering. Then add all the ground spices. Toast for 2 min stirring occasionally.
After onions are finished cooking, add ginger and garlic to the pan. Add the oil and spices (tadka) as well. Cook for 5 min.
Add the tomatoes and the chickpeas. Only add the liquid from one of the chickpea cans.
Simmer for 15 min.
Add spinach and cook until wilted
Add coconut milk and mix well.