Chana Masala.

 

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I love Indian cuisine.  My problem is going out for it – it tastes too salty or greasy for my preference.  The night I made this I had to whip up a quick dinner quickly because I had a board meeting.  This is one of those dishes that you can make and leave covered on the stove over a very low flame until everyone is home for dinner – so it’s ready when you are!  Love when that happens.  This way I can grab a shower and my notes and not worry about food prep once the dish is done.  You can serve this over zucchini noodles (grain free option), Basmati rice or I paired it with black rice that is gluten free.  This dish is vegan and contains no nuts – perfect if you need a dinner idea for a party where people may have various allergies.

Great Meatless Monday dinner option as well but if you prefer – you can always pair this up with your favorite protein.

*Inspired by Oh She Glows cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice (cooked according to package instructions)
1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the pan
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
1 jalapeño, with or without seeds according to your heat preference
2 teaspoons of dried cilantro/coriander
2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
Pinch of cayenne pepper if you desire
Salt and pepper
1 -28 ounce can of crushed organic tomatoes (entire can with juice)
1 – 14 ounce can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 handful of fresh cilantro leaves for garnishing

Directions:

Add oil to your large pan over medium heat.  Then add your onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeño.  Cook until tender, about 4 minutes or so.  Then add your spices.  Give it a good stir so that everything is coated well.  Then add your crushed tomatoes and chickpeas.  Stir until blended and then lower the temperature to the lowest setting and cover.  Let simmer until you are ready to plate.

When plating – place a large spoonful of rice on the bottom of each plate leveling it off and making a “bed” for the Chana Masala.  Then spoon the chickpea mixture over the top.  Top with some fresh cilantro leaves for garnishing.  Serve along with naan or as I did with some African millet bread.

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— Knead to Cook

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