A recipe that stems from my mind. No onions, no garlic, and no chopping. When the mind is active, but the hands feel kind of lethargic, in the kitchen. Just raided my masala dabba and spice cabinet, and luckily, for me and my hungry family victims, the chanas turned out yummy! So I decided to save the recipe from my mind to my food blog, instantly.
Wash, soak, toss, stir, pressure cook and serve. Just as it’s easy to write, it’s easy to cook and damn delicious to eat. Wholesome, healthy, nutritious, vegetarian, gluten free soul food from India and from my home kitchen to yours.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 cups dried garbanzo beans
1 English breakfast/black tea, tea bag
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Water
1 tbsp ghee
2 tsp. coriander powder
3/4 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried mango powder or amchoor
A pinch asafoetida or hing
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
A couple of cloves, a small piece of cinnamon stick, a black cardamom
2 tomatoes, grated or puréed
1 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi
2/3 tsp. store-bought chana masala powder
Salt, to taste
Wash the garbanzo beans and soak in water, overnight. Add the baking soda, it helps soften the beans.
Wash the beans well in water. Add to a pressure cooker and add just enough water to cover the beans, about 4-6 cups. Add the tea bag. After one whistle on high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove tea bag, which adds a nice brown colour to the beans.
In a separate pan, add ghee. Add the hing, bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and black cardamom. Add this tempering to the beans. Bring beans on simmer. Add the remaining spices and stir well. Add the tomato purée and salt, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the kasuri methi. Serve hot.
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