Chana Masala

by CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

A robust North Indian chickpea curry built on slow-cooked onion, tomato and spice masala. Hearty, warming and deeply savoury.

Estimated Nutrition per Portion

Ingredients

	Quantity		Prep Instructions
	Imperial	Metric
Red onion large	1 each		cut into chunks
Garlic cloves	4 each
Fresh ginger	1 each		2 1/2-inch piece, peeled, cut into large chunks
Canola oil	1/3 cup	85 ml
Cinnamon stick	1 each		1-inch piece
Salt	1 tsp	5 ml
Coriander	1 tbsp	15 ml	Ground
Cumin	1 tsp	5 ml	Ground
Turmeric	1/2 tp	2,5 ml
Cayenne pepper	1/4 tsp	1,25 ml
Tomatoes	1 1/2 lb	675 g	Puréed in a food processor
Cayenne	1/4 tsp	1,25 ml
Garam Masala	1/4 tsp	1,25 ml	see recipe attached
Amchur powder	1/4 tsp	1,25 ml
Garbanzo beans	4 cups	800 g	Cooked, reserve 2 cups (500 ml) of cooking liquid
Fresh cilantro	2 tbsp	30 ml	Chopped
Water			As needed

Purée the onion, garlic and ginger in a blender until the smooth.
Combine the oil and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan or casserole dish over a medium to high heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cinnamon stick unfurls.
Add the onion purée and salt. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the purée turns a golden brown.
As the onion purée begins to stick, add about a teaspoon of water at a time. Scrape the bottom of the pan with the spoon to pull up the browned bits and keep the onion from burning.
Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.
Add the puréed tomatoes. Give the sauce a stir and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the oil separates, and it thickens.
Add the reserved bean liquid, cayenne pepper, garam masala, amchur powder and garbanzo beans, bringing it to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
Taste for salt and serve hot.
Pro Tip: Chana masala include the additional flavor profile of garam masala which is more warming in its spice combination.