CHANNA MASALA

My father took us to BTH (a restaurant in Kochi, India) when we were kids. My two brothers and I ordered channa batura. The combination was so tasty that we ordered the same thing again. We just could not stop eating that. We wanted to order the same dish a third time but then had to stop.

The taste of the channa masala still lingers. This recipe is close, though!!

I have tried to make this authentic curry countless times. Many recipes use a lot of tomatoes and onions to make a thick gravy. Using a lot of tomatoes suppresses the flavor of other spices, which I do not like. 

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup channa(garbanzo beans, vella kadala,kabuli channa), soaked overnight
2. 1  medium-sized onion(100 gms.) chopped finely
3. 1 green chili, slit, and seeds removed
4. 2 medium-sized tomato (2 - 3 tomatoes)
5. 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
6. 1 small piece ginger, finely chopped or grated
7. 3 tsp coriander powder
8. 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
9. 1/4 tsp clove powder 
10. 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or 1 tsp ordinary chili powder
11. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
12. 1/2 tsp each of fenugreek powder
13. 1 tsp each of cumin powder and fennel seed powder
14. 2 Tbsp. shredded coconut
15. 1 Tbsp. cashew nuts
16. lemon juice as per taste
17. generous handful of coriander leaves chopped
18. salt to taste (1-1/2 tsp)
19. 2 cups water
20. 4 Tbsp. oil

METHOD

• Soak the Channa for at least 8 hours overnight.
  

• Pressure cook, washed, and drained Channa with 2 cups water and salt on high heat for 3 whistles and on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  

  

• Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat. When warm, add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions. Sauté for a few minutes; when the onions start to brown, add garlic and saute until well cooked.
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Add all the spice powders and stir well. Then add the tomatoes, chopped ginger, coriander leaves, green chili, and sauté.
  
  
  
  

• Sauté till the masala cooks well, and the oil comes up. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                                                  
• Add the cooked channa and boil for about 3-5 minutes. Smash a few of the channa against the wall of the pan. 

• Make a paste of the coconut and cashew nuts. Add this to the curry. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Serve with puri or chapati. 

• I like it topped with some finely chopped onions and a squeeze of lemon.
  

NOTES

• You can use 4 Tbsp. of tomato paste instead of tomatoes. Remember that when the tomato paste tube is opened, it must be used within 4 weeks. If it is kept longer, the tomato paste will become bitter as it sits.
• I tried cooking the onion and tomatoes along with the channa. Then, I seasoned the oil with the spice powders and cooked the whole thing again, but pressure cooking the tomatoes increased its sourness in a different, not-so-good way. So don't ever try this method. I have also tried sautéing the onions, masala, and tomato and then pressure cooking the channa for a one-pot recipe but didn't like the tomato flavor.
• The onion-to-tomato proportion is just right. No need to change that.
• Can substitute 1-2 Tbsp. of ghee instead of oil.
• Whenever there is leftover channa masala and baked samosa, I like to put that in a bowl, Thaw cubes of the frozen tamarind chutney and frozen cubes of mint chutney, top it with sev and chopped onions, and enjoy a homemade channa chaat.
• For 1 cube of tamarind pulp, I use 2 cubes of frozen cubes of mint chutney.

For 1-pot cooking: Saute the onions in the pressure cooker, add garlic and ginger( if pressure cooking everything together, then you can use ginger-garlic paste, as the raw smell goes away while pressure cooking, make sure it's sauteed well). Add the spices, then add tomatoes. Tomatoes need not be sautéed. Add washed and drained chickpeas. Add 2 cups of water(do not increase). Pressure cook on high for 3 whistles. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pressure cook for an additional 15 minutes. Then, increase the heat to high and pressure cook for 1 whistle.