I was in the mood for Indian food and didn’t feel like crossing the river into Rhinebeck, so I made chana masala, a delicious (and vegan) chickpea curry. It’s easy and satisfying. The recipe I used is adapted from Phaidon’s India Cookbook, with some edits.
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, pureed
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
2 inch finger of ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 lb cooked chickpeas
Roughly chop garlic and ginger and then mash into a paste with a mortar and pestle (or blender/food processor).
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, tomato, tomato paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Cook for three minutes, until onions start to soften. Add chickpeas and 1/2 cup of warm water and cook until hot throughout. Salt to taste.
