Chana Masala (Spicy Chickpea Curry)

Chana Masala is a Punjabi dish consumed in Northern India.  It's a spicy-slightly sour curry that is supposed to be on the drier side.  Traditionally, Chana Masala gets its sourness from amchur (dried mango) powder, but that is an ingredient I have yet to buy, so substituting lemon juice works well.

Nutrition Highlight: Chickpeas

Chickpeas are particularly high in manganese and folate. Manganese is important in bone formation and brain functioning.  Folate is important for the brain as well and keeps the heart healthy (because it keeps homocysteine at a normal level).  Folate helps make DNA, which is particularly important for pregnant women, infants, and teens, all of whom are in life phases of rapid cell division.

Cooking beans from their dried state is very economical, environmentally friendly, and easy! 

 I soak my chickpeas overnight with a tablespoon of baking soda.   This creates an alkaline environment which allows better water penetration.  Cook the beans on high for 3 hours in the slow cooker —or 50-60 minutes minutes on the stove— and then you're ready to go.

Cooking Tip

Use canned diced tomatoes in Indian cooking when it's not summertime.

Indian food often starts with a foundation of onions and spices, ginger-garlic paste, and chopped tomatoes.  I hardly ever buy store-bought tomatoes because they are devoid of flavor in comparison to the mouthwatering, juicy tomatoes that our garden produces in the summer.  So if an Indian recipe calls for tomatoes, and I'm cooking it in the winter, I usually substitute canned diced tomatoes, which I always have on hand.  This makes prep go a bit faster, since I am definitely not a speedy cook.  

Tomatoes are also one of the few vegetables whose nutrients are absorbed better after cooking.  

Fun Fact: In my Food Processing class, I learned that canned food is heated (a.k.a. retorted) to 250º to eliminate all pathogenic microbes, especially C. botulinum.

Chana Masala (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Printable Recipe

I like eating this with fruit, especially sliced pear, to moderate the spiciness.  Amchoor is dried mango powder and is used in Indian cooking for its sourness.  You can find it at Indian stores or substitute with lemon juice. 

I recommend making this in the morning or eating it the next day so the flavors have time to develop and meld together.

2 T olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

3 c chickpeas, cooked (from 1 c dry) 

2 garlic cloves, grated on microplane (2 tsp)

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1" of ginger, peeled and grated on microplane (2 tsp)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 c tomato paste
1 T ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin (if not using seeds)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp amchoor powder or 2 T lemon juice

cilantro & plain yogurt, garnish

About 35 minutes of cooking time. Plan on 30-40 minutes of prep.

• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes on medium low heat, or until golden brown.  Properly browned onions are the foundation of the complex flavors derived from Indian cooking. Meanwhile, start grating the ginger and chopping the jalapeno (takes about 5 min). Once the onions have turned translucent and have slightly caramelized, add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful with the garlic—it burns easily.

• Add the tomato paste and stir into the other ingredients. Flatten everything into one layer, turn up the heat, and cook for 3 minutes to create a crust.  

• Add the coriander, ground cumin (if not using seeds), cayenne and turmeric and stir well. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, chickpeas and garam masala. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chickpeas have heated through. Finish with lemon juice and top with plain yogurt and cilantro.  Serve over brown rice with naan. It's better the next day because Indian curries need a "rest time" to develop flavors.  Serves 4.