Chana Masala (Chickpeas in Spiced Tomato Gravy)
By Joe
Source: Serious Eats — J. Kenji López-Alt, Channa Masala.
A channa masala recipe for 6 servings, written from a single tested source, with times and temperatures kept as the source set them.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Bake. Mix garlic, ginger, chiles, lemon juice (1 tablespoon), and kosher salt in a mortar (1/2 teaspoon) and pestle or in the little work bowl of a food processor plus pound or blitz till a fine paste is produced. Keep to one side. Heat oil or ghee in a big saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium-high flame till shimmering. All at once, tip in mustard seeds plus cumin. They will sputter plus spit for one few seconds. As soon as they are aromatic (around 15 seconds), add onion all at once, along with bicarbonate of soda. Cook, mixing often, till onions start to leave a brown coating upon bottom of pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Tip in water (1 tablespoon), scrape up browned bits from pan, and keep cooking. Do the same again till onions are a deep brown, around 10 minutes total. Promptly add garlic/ginger/chile paste all at once and mix well. Add coriander, black pepper, turmeric, and garam masala (1 teaspoon). Mix till fragrant, around 30 seconds. Tip in tomatoes and crush them using a beat or potato masher. Tip in emptied, rinsed chickpeas plus cilantro, reserving a little cilantro for garnish. Tip in water (1/2 cup). Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with lid a little cracked, and reduce heat to maintain a gentle bubbling. Heat, mixing now and then, till liquid has reduced in a thick stew plus spices have melded, around 30 minutes. Mix in leftover garam masala and lemon juice. Taste and add salt if it needs it with salt. Offer with rice and/or naan, scattering extra cilantro on top.
Storage
Keep covered and eat within a few days; freeze leftovers if the dish allows it.
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.7 g protein per 100 kcal, about 15% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
Per serving, from the nutrition table. Condition from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.1 g per serving
0.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- scales
- baking tin or tray
- food processor
- saucepan
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 205 kcal |
| Protein | 7.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 27.7 g |
| of which sugars | 6.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 8.4 g |
| of which saturates | 1.1 g |
| Fibre | 8 g |
| Salt | 0.63 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.7 g High protein needs ≥ 5 g per 100 kcal (20% of energy) and ≥ 10 g per serving
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
