This dish is a popular Indian chickpea curry and it can be cooked in many ways. Not only it is super simple -it takes 30 minutes and a couple of ingredients- but also it’s vegan.
My version is made with onions, garlic, ginger, fresh parsley, spices, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and the star ingredient; chickpeas. It can be eaten with rice, quinoa, bulgur, or cauliflower rice.
The special touch is leaving the chickpeas soaking overnight, instead of using the canned ones. I guarantee that the flavour and consistency is much better.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Spices: cumin, coriander, curry, paprika, cinnamon, chili flakes and the ones you prefer.
- 1 big onion or 2 small
- Garlic (as much as you prefer)
- Ginger
- Parsley or fresh coriander
- Tomato sauce
- Canned tomatoes
- Raw chickpeas
- Cauliflower
Instructions:
- Let the chickpeas soak for 8 hours or more. Dismiss the water and cook them in a pot with water. When they are soft and you can eat them, it’s done. Don’t let them be mushy, just soft.
- Heat a pan and add 1tbsp of olive oil. When it heats up, add chopped onions, garlic and jinger. Add some salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Saute slowly until the onions are cooked.
- Add the tomato sauce and the canned tomatoes, with the flame low. Also add more salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, curry, paprika and cinnamon. Here you can add the spices you want, such as cayenne or chili powder. Be creative! Stir and be generous with the amount of spices.
- When the sauce is ready, add the chickpeas and the spices you prefer if needed (I added more paprika, coriander, curry and pepper).
- Stir well, turn off the hob and cover the pan so the flavour can be retained.
- After some minutes, serve the chana masala with fresh parsley on top, and cauliflower rice (or the rice you prefer).
For the cauliflower rice:
- Wash the cauliflower and grate.
- In a hot pan, add some olive oil and the vegetables that you prefer. I just add some chopped garlic and chili flakes.
- Add the grated cauliflower and stir. I added some ginger water that I had, you can just put water with pieces of ginger or just water.
- When the cauliflower has the consistency of rice (neither so soft, nor hard) it’s ready.
