Chana masala

Difficulty: 2/5

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Nutrition facts per serving
CALORIES PER SERVING (kcal): 327         (calories in whole recipe: 1308)
Proteins	28%	15.5g	Protein: lysine	48%	0.9g
			Protein: methionine	22%	0.2g
			Protein: isoleucine	35%	0.6g
Carbohydrates	42%	54.2g	Fibers	42%	16.0g
			Net carbs	n/a	38.2g
			Sugars	n/a	12.5g
Fats	12%	7.7g	Omega-3	7%	0.1g
			Omega-6	10%	1.7g
			Saturated fats	n/a	0.7g
Vitamin B1	12%	0.1mg	Vitamin B2	8%	0.1mg
Vitamin B3	9%	1.4mg	Vitamin B5	17%	0.8mg
Vitamin B6	38%	0.5mg	Folate	28%	113.2μg
Vitamin A	12%	104.8μg	Vitamin C	24%	21.3mg
Vitamin E	14%	2.0mg	Vitamin K	21%	24.9μg
Vitamin B12	/	/	Vitamin D	/	/
Calcium	16%	156.4mg	Copper	70%	0.6mg
Iron	57%	4.6mg	Magnesium	22%	87.0mg
Manganese	99%	2.3mg	Phosphorus	32%	227.3mg
Potassium	15%	686.1mg	Selenium	13%	7.4μg
Zinc	17%	1.8mg	Sodium to taste

Ingredients:

FOR THE GINGER-GARLIC PASTE

• 1,5cm x 1,5cm ginger
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar

FOR THE CHANA MASALA

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 6 green cardamom pods (with seeds)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 thinly chopped large-sized onion
• Ginger-garlic paste (written above)
• 4 puréed medium-sized tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp paprika
• 720g (3 cans) rinsed and drained chickpeas
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 handful (1/2 cup) roughly chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, blend together the ingredients for the ginger-garlic paste. Set aside.
• In a large pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the cumin seeds and quickly sauté on medium heat until they bloom (they will start smelling very strong). Add the cardamom and the bay leaf and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the onions with a pinch of salt to sweat them. Sauté until the onions start browning.
• Add the garlic-ginger paste. Sauté for 30 seconds.
• Mix in the puréed tomatoes, coriander, cumin, and paprika. Cook for 7 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.
• Stir in the chickpeas and the water. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes until some water has evaporated and the chana masala has thickened.
• Using a ladle, gently smash some of the chickpeas so as to thicken the chana masala. Most of the chickpeas should still be whole.
• Stir in the garam masala and the salt, then mix in the fresh cilantro, and turn off the heat.

Serving:

In a bowl, scoop a generous serving of the chana masala. Serve with a side of basmati rice or naan bread and a side of fresh cucumbers.