Channa Masala recipe with simple ingredients / Chole masala recipe
In fact, while there are many fancy recipes out there for Channa Masala, I put this out with simple ingredients available at hand - talk about #lockdowncooking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chick peas / கொண்டைக்கடலை (black or white)
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds / சீரகம்
- 1 tbsp Fennel seeds / சோம்பு
- 1 inch piece Cinnamon / பட்டை
- 1 or 2 Cardamom / ஏலக்காய்
- 3 Cloves / கிராம்பு
- 1 Bay leaf / பிரிஞ்சி இலை
- 2 Onions / வெங்காயம்
- 4 Tomatoes / தக்காளி
- 1 Green chilli / பச்சை மிளகாய்
- 1.5 inch piece Ginger / இஞ்சி
- 5-7 Garlic / பூண்டு
- 1 tbsp Butter / வெண்ணெய்
- 2 tbsp Oil / எண்ணெய்
- 3 cup Water / தண்ணீர்
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup chick peas in 3 cups water overnight. If you are doing this in a hurry, you can soak for 4-5 hours in warm water.
- Discard the water used for soaking and add the soaked chick peas to a pressure cooker.
- Add 2 cups water and 1/4 tablespoon salt, and cook for 8 whistles.
- Chop onions. Puree the tomatoes. Prepare ginger garlic paste.
- In a pan, add 1 tablespoon each of cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
- Dry roast for a minute in low flame. Now, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and roast.
- Once you get a nice aroma, transfer the spices to a mixer jar. Once it cools down, grind to make a powder.
- In the same pan heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent.
- Add the green chilli and one tablespoon of salt and keep sauteing.
- After a minute or so, add ginger, garlic paste, and saute.
- Once the raw smell goes, add in the ground powder and mix well. Add in the tomato paste, and saute for 5 minutes.
- Now, add 2 teaspoons of chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon garam masala or chicken powder.
- Mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
- Take about 2-3 tablespoons of boiled chickpeas and grind to a paste in a mixer.
- Add 5-7 tablespoons of the chick pea stock (water used to boil chick peas) to the gravy. Stir and mix well.
- Add the ground chick pea paste to the gravy and give it a good mix.
- Now add the boiled chick peas along with the remaining water to the gravy. Add about 1/2 cup water used to rinse the mixer jar.
- Check for salt and add if needed. Mix well, cover and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Spicy, tasty Channa Masala is ready. Enjoy with Chappathi or Roti, hot.