Chana Masala

It is my sincere apology that I've waited so long to post another delicious recipe. Things have been crazy with family and friends visiting, a new job, and our daughter starting preschool again. This busy season is a welcome change. Our life is slowly falling into a gentle rhythm; which brings me to today.

While Autumn hasn't officially started yet,our mountain town has started to experience the cooler air, and the Aspens have begun to turn color.Yesterday, I craved something warm and comforting, so I whipped up an old favorite; Chana Masala.

This simple and colorful dish, is not only easy but also delicious. The star of this dish is of course the Chickpeas (Chana in Urdu/Hindi). The other ingredients include ginger, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and spices to complete it. Chana Masala is usually served as a side dish, and we ate it with Chicken Curry last night. However, it works wonderfully for my vegetarian/vegan friends as a yummy meal served with rice.


Chana Masala-Chickpea Curry
Serves: 4-5 Cook Time: 35 minutes

~1.5 Tb Cooking Oil (I prefer Olive)
~1 medium onion chopped
~1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
~3-4 cloves garlic
~2 inch piece of ginger
~1Tb ground coriander
~3 Tsp ground cumin
~1/4 Tsp turmeric
~1 Tsp salt
~dash of red pepper
~dash of garam masala (optional)
~2 medium tomatoes, chopped
~2 15oz cans of Chickpeas, drained (aka-Garbanzo beans)
~2 Tb of Plain Yogurt (or vegan yogurt)
~Cilantro, chopped

1.) Place onions into a medium pot, and lightly brown.

2.) While onions are browning, place jalapeno, garlic and ginger into a small food processor and blend until minced finely. After onions have browned, place blended mixture in with onions and cook on medium-high for one minute.

3.) Add spices to pot, and cook with onion mixture for 30-45 seconds; careful not to burn.

4.) Add tomatoes, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the juices are released and a nice gravy starts to form. Add chickpeas.

5.) Cook chickpeas for 5 minutes, and then add the yogurt and mix well. Cook chickpeas on medium heat for 15 minutes, or until tender. Mix in or garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Chana Masala