Channa Masala Recipe

Channa Masala Recipe

from seriouseats.com
Mains
55 min
6 servings
229 kcal / serving

As one of the most popular dishes in the world, channa masala—chickpeas cooked in a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce—is the kind of dish that stirs passions.

Ingredients

  • 4 mediumcloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1knob ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
  • 1green thai chiles (to taste), roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoonsjuice from 1 lemon, divided
  • kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoonsvegetable oil or ghee
  • 2 teaspoonsblack mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoonwhole cumin seed
  • 1 largeonion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups; 300g)
  • ¼ teaspoonbaking soda
  • 2 teaspoonsground coriander
  • ½ teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoonground turmeric
  • 1 ½ teaspoonsstore-bought or homemade garam masala , divided
  • 1can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cupcilantro leaves, roughly chopped (1 ounce; 25g)

Directions

  1. 1

    Combine garlic, ginger, chiles, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a mortar and pestle or in the small work bowl of a food processor and pound or process until a fine paste is produced. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Heat oil or ghee in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. All at once, add mustard seeds and cumin. They will sputter and spit for a few seconds. As soon as they are aromatic (about 15 seconds), add onion all at once, along with baking soda. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions start to leave a brown coating on bottom of pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water, scrape up browned bits from pan, and continue cooking. Repeat this process until onions are a deep brown, about 10 minutes total.

  3. 3

    Immediately add garlic/ginger/chile paste all at once and stir to combine. Add coriander, black pepper, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and crush them using a whisk or potato masher. Add drained, rinsed chickpeas and cilantro, reserving a little cilantro for garnish. Add 1/2 cup water.

  4. 4

    Bring to a simmer, cover with lid slightly cracked, and reduce heat to maintain a gentle bubbling. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced into a thick stew and spices have melded, about 30 minutes.

  5. 5

    Stir in remaining garam masala and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve with rice and/or naan , sprinkling additional cilantro on top.