If you couldn’t already tell, I’ve bitten off a little more than I can chew at the moment. Between work, appointments, ceramic classes, more ceramic classes, and seeing friends and family, I’m barely home at all. It’s also that time of year when you realise the new year starts in T minus 1.5 months.
I woke up not feeling motivated to do a post today, but after doing some spring cleaning and furniture rearranging (ok… more of pot plant rearranging), the motivation came to me.
Have I spoken here about my love for cast iron pans? I can’t believe it has taken me all these years of cooking to get onto the bandwagon. In the two months since my 12-inch skillet arrived, I’ve used my stainless saucepans all of three times, and that doesn’t include for cooking grains. Everything tastes better in it. Everything! How does that even happen? I don’t know, but I’m hooked.
Chana masala is one of my favourite Indian dishes. And I’ve been enjoying it even more with my trusted cast iron pan in tow. I know there are a lot of recipes for chana masala out there, so why does the interwebs need another one? Well, this one is the only one you’ll need and it’s so easy, you can whip it up on a weeknight after a long day. It’s a dish I’ve had on rotation every week lately for that very reason. It’s also harder for me to order this at an Indian restaurant now that I have making it at home down pat. I don’t feel heavy or lethargic after my home made version.
Easy chana masala
Serves 4
1 brown onion, diced
2-inch piece ginger, sliced into matchsticks
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pink salt
1/2-1/4 tsp ground chilli powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste (I use one that has no added salt)
4-5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
2 BPA-free tins of organic chickpeas
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder – you can use lemon juice in place of this)
Cook the diced onion in a pan over a medium heat. Once starting to caramelise, add ginger and garlic, and cook a further 3 minutes.
Add coriander, cumin, salt, chilli, turmeric and tomato paste, and cook until everything is mixed into the tomato paste and spices become fragrant.
Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 5 mins before adding the chickpeas.
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add fenugreek, garam masala and amchoor, and cook a further 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with cooked basmati rice and chutney.
Kale Mary 