Ar-Chana Masala
This recipe was written by contributing author, Archana Choudhary. Learn more about her here!
My relationship with Indian food has been deeply personal, full of spicy growth, warmly comforting, and richly educational. When I arrived in a small town in upstate New York for college in the summer of 2014, I didn’t know what to expect - but I definitely did not expect the popular Sunday hangover-hangouts to be the two Indian buffet lines. It makes perfect sense - the fluffy, flaky, buttery naan soaks up all of your sins, while the rich, decadent butter chicken puts you to sleep (or was it all the solo cups the night before?) While this Indian food had its own special soft spot in my heart, the standard for good Indian food in that town was rather low (the standard for a lot of things during college is subpar, so, no surprise here.) I took it as a personal endeavor to introduce my friends to true Indian Food. In retrospect, that was laughable because I didn’t know how to cook, neither of my parents can cook, and the food we ate at home was relatively plain. But in my mission to bring some of my truly beloved Indian dishes over to the other side of the pond, I started my own journey with Indian food. First simplifying it, and then complicating it as I got more comfortable. Particularly in 2020, as many of us became more familiar with our homes, I have found solace in cooking Indian food for myself, my neighbors, and my Instagram followers. Indian food, with its myriad of spices, can be very daunting. But, with baby steps, and a willingness to learn as I fail (and Priya Krishna’s book Indianish), it has been truly rewarding to see the magical mixture of spices, flavors, and feelings that Indian food is able to encapsulate. For me, Indianish has been a holy grail for finding substitutes for the many Indian products that I don’t even know the English translation for. It has been truly exciting to find comfort in simple food, all made with pantry staples or easy to acquire ingredients, to create a little piece of India in my tiny Brooklyn apartment.
There have been lots of positive highlights for me in 2020, but if I had to choose one in specific, it would be chickpeas. I could write multiple love letters for this protein packed, soft, blank canvas of a legume. I have used it for Indian dishes, as a snack, to fill tacos, and even to make cookies. And I am talking about *gasp* canned chickpeas in particular. Despite no commute, I do not have the time or the foresight to soak dried chickpeas overnight, and have consumed an average of 3 cans of Trader Joe’s Garbanzo Beans per week this year. It was only natural that I introduce myself, and my journey with Indian food, with Chana Masala. This chickpea preparation, with a tomato-onion based sauce, is a simple but incredible introduction to Indian food. Indian food seems very daunting, but the one rule that will make the journey super simple & truly elevate the flavor is: Blooming your spices (or as I find it easier to imagine, sweating your spices.)
Ingredients
2 tbsp Oil / Ghee / Butter: any fat is great here!
1 Medium White Onion: chopped coarsely
4 Cloves Garlic: or as many as your heart desires! minced
1 15 oz can of Diced Tomato
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Garam Masala / Curry Powder: this gives the dish the Indian flavor
½ tsp turmeric powder: support small businesses & order this beautiful turmeric, you will thank me later!
1 15 oz can of chickpeas: drained and rinsed (unsalted preferably; save the liquid for vegan meringues!!!!!!!)
Salt: to taste (true Sanjeev Kapoor fans will know)
Preparation:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large flat pan.
Add the onion to the pan once the oil is hot and cook until semi translucent (about 7-8 minutes on medium heat). Salt it now!
Add all of your garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garam masala, and turmeric powder. Add the rest of the oil, and sweat all of the spices with the onions, garlic, and the oil. The color of the onions will be transformed from a pale white to a rich, deep, golden hue.
Pour in the diced tomatoes, and mix it with the golden onion jam. Once mixed well, add the chickpeas. Taste the chickpeas, and adjust the salt and spices according to taste. (Salt for more, well, saltiness, cayenne pepper for more heat, garam masala for more of the Indian food taste, and cumin & coriander for more earthy flavor)
Keep the chickpea stew on low-medium heat, and let it simmer till the extra water from the canned tomatoes have evaporated (about 12 minutes usually)
That’s it! You’re done! Add some salt, eat it over rice or with naan. My favorite way to eat it is with toasted bread, raw chopped red onions, and cilantro chutney as an open faced sandwich. It is fairly versatile, and the spice levels will depend on the cayenne levels in the dish, so you can truly make it your own.
Best Practices:
As always:
Avoid packaged produce, or really anything packaged for that matter. This is not to say that you’ll always have the option, but when you do, go for it! For example, you may sometimes garlic in nylon mesh or onions in plastic bags. These can often be found sans any packaging. Additionally, things like spices can often be found in bulk (rather than in small containers), if you find a market that offers this option, give it a try!
Try to bring your own bags when you go shopping for these ingredients, and try to find them locally when you can!
Make sure you’re not buying more than you think you’ll reasonably use! That said, essentially all of these ingredients (like the garlic, onions, canned food, and spices) can last a long time in your pantry (but not forever), so if you buy more than you need, you’ll likely have plenty of other opportunities to use them. It’s important to note however, that spices do go stale, and often much quicker than most people realize, so if you have a jar/can/bag laying around in the house, taste them every once in a while to ensure you don’t miss their peak quality!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know! If you really loved it, share it on social media and tag us (@groundedgrub), or, better yet, share it with your friends and family!