1
StepHeat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and drop in the cumin seeds. They should sizzle immediately and darken within about 20 seconds.
Main Dishes
Chana Masala
Chickpeas simmered in a dark onion and tomato masala until the sauce thickens around them. Dried mango powder stirred in at the end gives the sour edge that makes it taste like a street stall rather than a mild curry. A weeknight pan of it costs almost nothing and reheats better than it deserves to.
50 min
Prep: 15 / Cook: 35
4
servings
Easy
Difficulty
4.5
6 Ratings
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 250 g onion
- 20 g ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 pieces green chilli
- 400 g plum tomato
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp chana masala powder
- 2 cans chickpea
- 1 tsp dried mango powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 0 salt
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 1 piece lemon
Preparation
6 Steps
2
StepAdd the finely chopped onion and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until it is deep golden brown at the edges. This is where the colour of the finished dish comes from.
3
StepStir in the grated ginger, crushed garlic and chopped green chillies and fry for 2 minutes, until the raw garlic smell has gone.
4
StepAdd the ground coriander, turmeric, kashmiri chilli and chana masala powder with a splash of water so they do not catch, then the chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, mashing the tomatoes down, until the masala pulls away from the base of the pan and oil shows at the edges.
5
StepTip in the chickpeas with 250 ml of water, or the liquid from one of the cans for extra body. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, crushing a good handful of the chickpeas against the side of the pan halfway through to thicken the sauce.
6
StepTake the pan off the heat and stir in the dried mango powder and garam masala. Rest for 5 minutes, then finish with chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon. It should taste sour, warm and salty, in that order.
Chef's Tip
The colour comes entirely from browning the onion properly, so give it the full ten to twelve minutes rather than rushing to the tomatoes. Mashing a handful of chickpeas against the side of the pan thickens the sauce without any flour or cream.
Comments (3)
my onions needed closer to fifteen minutes to go properly golden
wider pan and slightly more heat, but golden is worth the wait either way
mashing some of the chickpeas thickened it far better than flour ever would
this is a weeknight staple now, i keep mango powder in the cupboard just for it