Friday 22 October 2010

Kadai channa masala

Its cold and windy and as long as I'm indoors the weather is my bestest friend. But sadly for me, that doesn't happen quite often. I have guests whole of next week and as much as I'm looking forward to having them around, sightseeing in London in this weather can be a bummer. On the other hand it is indeed soup and stew weather and so I am happy about that bit.
This is the first time I've tried making channa masala and must say it wasn't as awesome as I've remembered it to be! I mean I'm talking about the Saravana Bhavan ones from Chennai which is so darn awesome, I'm drooling just thinking about it. My laziness even got me to buy one of those instant ones which I think was alright, but not the best obviously. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this curry and Ro loved it, but I just didn't think it hit the right spot..you know what I mean right??? Anyhoo, if you think I need to change something or the way I make it, let me know and I'm more than happy to give it another shot :)
Recipe has been loosely adapted from one of Lekshmi Nairs.

Cooked chickpea- 1 cup
Onion- 1 roughly chopped (optional)
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder 1/2 tbsp or less
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Tomatoes- 4, puréed
Green chillies- 2, sliced
Ginger- 1 tbsp, chopped
Coriander leaves- a handful
Garam masala powder- 3/4 tsp
Kasoori methi powder- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1.2 tsp (optional)
Water- 1 cup (or as required)
Salt- to taste
Oil- 1 1/2 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai and add the garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell goes.
Reduce the heat a bit and add the Coriander powder, Chilli powder and Turmeric powder. Mix well till its cooked..about a minute or so.
Add onions and sauté for about 3 to four minutes...just to lightly cook it. (skip this stage if you are not adding any)
Add the puréed tomatoes and stir well. 
Half way through, add the green chillies, sliced ginger and salt and give it a good mix and cook till the water evaporates and the oil separates...a mushy consistency
Add a cup of water and wait for it to lightly boil.
Add the cooked chickpea at this stage and mix well.
Add the garam masala and kasoori methi powder and half of the coriander leaves, give one final stir and let it boil for a further 5 minutes.
You can also add sugar at this stage to enhance the taste a bit.
Garnish with remaining chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with poori's, chapathis or even pita bread.
Notes: If you want a thicker consistency, grind about a 1/4 cup of cooked chickpea into a fine paste and add just before you add the whole chickpea.

37 comments:

Prerna@IndianSimmer said...

The first that attracted me was the use of that mug to serve! Great idea! I'm stealing it somewhere :-)
Chole masala is one of my favorite!

Soumya said...

yum!channa masala looks awesome & very tempting

Ann said...

I tried one recipe from a blog once, and you are right, it didn't hit the spot for mw too. I thought the quintessential recipe had something to do with tea bag steeping, tea leaves for flavor?? I may be wrong, but I'm still on a quest for the ultimate recipe too =). Once I nail that, it will be BHATURA parties all week long ;-)

Rumana Rawat said...

Fabulous blog.. i love it:)

Finla said...

Even if it is made from the packet it looks good. Here we all love channa, and that is the first Indian dish i did here, when my daughter was younger she used to ask to me when she wanted to have channa curry if we are going to have the Indian balls :-) that is wha she used to call them.

Umm Mymoonah said...

Very tempting curry, I love this.

Torviewtoronto said...

delicious and aromatic dish

Anonymous said...

Thats ultimate comfort recipe with less work and great flavors

Sanyukta Gour(Bayes) said...

amazing n flavorful chole ...looks mouthwatering...stuck and busy these days...wil catch up with all ur delicious posts soon....

Suji said...

Not a big chana fan, but i have tried this recipe of lakshmi nair too, it did win over me though Nisha...Love the color..

Daisy Roshan said...

i like the consistency of the channa masala....the recipe sounds aromatic!!

Satrupa said...

I loved the little writeup ....your idea of serving it in the cup was pretty interesting n out of the box. Don't get surprised to see that idea taken up my me ..... I know I am a CopyCat :) I luv to copy good things ..... call it learning from others to supress the guilt.

Cheers n Happy Cooking,
Satrupa

http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com

Pari Vasisht said...

Hi. I know what u mean by not hitting the right spot, but the colour looks very attractive and am sure it would have tasted good. I personally feel that fresh spices ground gives a better flavour and for me anardana is a must in the chana, my taste buds would keep searching for that flavour. If you like low oil recipe do try the no oil chana from my space, hopefully u will like it.
FOODELICIOUS

Binys Recipes said...

I am in love with the masala and the gravy is soooo thick and yummy......Nice,innovative and a new style of presentation.....
Biny

Asha said...

Hmmm..... I love Channa.....

Kulsum@JourneyKitchen said...

Looks so warm and welcoming! The colors are great and love the way you served it! :) BTW r u on twiiter?

Priya Suresh said...

Fingerlicking and droolworthy channa masala, slurpppp!!

Suja Manoj said...

Delicious and aromatic..lovely gravy

Akila said...

channa masala looks delicious....

Unknown said...

i was about to write love the color of ur bowl, AH its a mug how cute, love channa masala anytime with anything ....yum!

sweet artichoke said...

Ready to try and taste any dish with chickpeas!! I am about to post one today, too ;-)
Great idea to serve it in a cup!

aipi said...

Fabulous looking chana masala..beautifully presented in cup!

US Masala

Monet said...

I just love the blue bowl/mug you served your masala in. What a wonderful contrast! I'm sorry that it didn't turn out as great as you remember it. I'm sure it was still delicious though. Thank you for sharing.

Unknown said...

what a color..I do something similar too...Though, I must admit,I haven't made it for a while now, you've just given me the inspiration :-)

Vineetha Sush said...

Brilliant pics !!!
Thanks for welcoming me back.
Enjoy the sight seeing in London.its getting colder and darker :(

Pushpa said...

Delicious chana curry...

Pushpa @ simplehomefood.com

Unknown said...

Love the color of this gorgeous chana masala..Great pics!!

PJ said...

yes, definitely a soup and stew kinda weather! this one looks delicious.. i guess i havent had sarvana bhavan chana masala so blissfully unaware of what i am missing :)

Foodie Ann said...

Beautiful pictures...Chana masala looks great...:)

Sushma Mallya said...

Looks delicious,..

Sarah Naveen said...

loved the mug!!! i got a a pack of some what similar mugs as a gift recently from N's friend :)
Chana masala looks simply delicious..

Joyti said...

I like the way you served it, like a soup in a mug instead of the standard plate-over-rice way...It sounds delicious and great for the cool autumn weather too.

Nitha said...

Love the colour of the channa masala and the cup too... Love the way you presented..

Sanjeeta kk said...

Beautiful gravy for this delicious looking channa recipe.

Sanjeeta kk said...

Tangy and creamy channa curry.

Sunitha said...

Yum! I like channa with roti and puttu.

Sarah, Maison Cupcake said...

Mmm that looks wonderful - it's definitely curry season again although all year round is curry season in my house!