Spiced chick peas are delicious. I have been working on finding the ultimate Chana Masala recipe. This is one of my favorites and makes it to my table fairly regularly. This recipe has a lot of spices. I bought mine at an international food store and the investment has led to lots of tasty meals.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon flavorless oil like vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced (I use 3-4)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used a quarter of this because my cayenne is extremely hot)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (this is mango powder you can use 1/2 a lemon juiced if you can't find this)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (juiced)
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions fry for a couple of minutes then add garlic, ginger and pepper. Continue to saute until browned about 5 minutes.
Turn heat to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala.
Cook for a minute or two until the spices become fragment and smell less raw. Then add tomatoes, and any juices. Scrape any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Servings: 3-4
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From personal experience I cannot stress how important it is to temper the spices. I find it a fascinating bit of food chemistry that cooking the spices first develops a complex flavor, while dumping them in at the end (what can I say... I was distracted and forgot a step) turns the dish to a muddy, bland mess.
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