Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the tomatoes, fried onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, then cook covered for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes break easily with your cooking spoon. (If you don’t have fried onions just fry the onion till golden brown, then the chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste.)
- Add all the seasoning and spices and saute for one minute. Then add the drained chickpeas and whole green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the hot water. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. By this time most of the water will have dried up. If you want to keep a shorba (soup like consistency) add more hot water and simmer for a couple minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Make it less spicy. Although the green chillies are left whole, they release their spice and flavor while stewing with the chickpeas. Add less green chilies or omit completely to cut the spice.
Time saving tips. Besides using canned chickpeas, using pre fried onions saves a lot of time. I always have a batch of pre fried onions ready to be used.
How to serve your Chana Masala. My husband loves eating Chana Malala with naan, but I really enjoy it with some steamed basmati. If you want to enjoy this with basmati, add a little extra water for a shorba (soup like consistency)
How to up your spice game. Cumin and coriander seeds have such great flavor, and there's a way to make it even better. Dry roast them on a low flame just until they start getting darker. Then let them cool and grind them in a coffee grinder. The aroma and flavors intensify tenfold.