Chana Masala (Chickpea Stew)
Cholle, or Chana Masala, is served alongside many Indian dishes. Chickpeas cooked in a tomato stew.
Servings: 6
Calories: 144kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 green chili jalapeno or serrano
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 cm ginger root grated
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp to taste Chana Masala spice mixture (you can substitute garam masala and juice from half a lemon)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil ghee or butter
- 16 oz can of garbanzo beans aka chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Vaghaar: Heat some oil in a pot on medium. I aim to use as little as possible, about a teaspoon. The oil is hot enough when you drop a cumin seed in it and the oil bubbles around the seed, causing the seed to move around. Put the cumin seeds on the palm of your hand, sift through with your other hand to make sure there are no rocks or stems mixed in. Then throw the seeds into the oil. Allow it to brown for a few seconds.
- Add the onion, garlic and chili to the vaghaar. Add salt.
- When the onions are translucent, throw in the tomatoes, ginger, garbanzo beans and chana masala. Simmer for about 30 minutes with the lid on to allow the garbanzo beans to absorb the flavor. The tomatoes will add a lot of moisture as they break down but you may need need to add up to a half cup of water, I usually add too much water then boil it off toward the end with the lid off.
Video
Notes
Pressure Cooker / Dry Beans Method:
Before soaking the garbanzo beans, you should sift through them to look for any pebbles or sticks to remove. You can soak the garbanzo beans overnight. Or there is a much quicker way. Heat the beans in the pressure cooker until the whistle blows, make sure to add plenty of water, as much of it will be absorbed by the beans. Once the whistle blows, turn off the heat, vent the steam and drain the water. Rinse the beans with water. Consider them soaked.
Follow steps one and two from above, you can usually do this in the pressure cooker.
Return the beans to the pressure cooker along with everything else. Add enough water to boil the mixture. Heat all of this to build up the pressure in the cooker. Cook at full pressure for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and allow it too cool enough to remove the top. Do not vent or the beans will be undercooked.
(To do this without a pressure cooker, just boil in a pot until the beans are soft. This can take as long as three hours.)
Follow the above recipe for the rest.
If you feel like it, you can add whatever vegetables you want, like carrots and spinach. Serve with plain yogurt and naan, pita or rice.
Before soaking the garbanzo beans, you should sift through them to look for any pebbles or sticks to remove. You can soak the garbanzo beans overnight. Or there is a much quicker way. Heat the beans in the pressure cooker until the whistle blows, make sure to add plenty of water, as much of it will be absorbed by the beans. Once the whistle blows, turn off the heat, vent the steam and drain the water. Rinse the beans with water. Consider them soaked.
Follow steps one and two from above, you can usually do this in the pressure cooker.
Return the beans to the pressure cooker along with everything else. Add enough water to boil the mixture. Heat all of this to build up the pressure in the cooker. Cook at full pressure for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and allow it too cool enough to remove the top. Do not vent or the beans will be undercooked.
(To do this without a pressure cooker, just boil in a pot until the beans are soft. This can take as long as three hours.)
Follow the above recipe for the rest.
If you feel like it, you can add whatever vegetables you want, like carrots and spinach. Serve with plain yogurt and naan, pita or rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg