Weeknight Chana Masala
Two cans of chickpeas in a spiced tomato sauce, done in about thirty minutes in one pot.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 26 min
- Total
- 36 min
- Makes
- 4 bowls
- Difficulty
- easy
- Heat
- 🌶
A North Indian chickpea curry that runs almost entirely on the pantry. Garam masala does most of the work, and mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pot thickens the sauce with no cream at all. It is better the next day.
Ingredients
To serve
Gear
- large pot
Method
Tap a step to mark where you are. Tap a time to start a timer.
-
Brown the onion
Heat the oil in the pot over medium and cook the onion until soft and golden at the edges.
-
Aromatics
Stir in the garlic and ginger for a minute.
-
Spices
Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
-
Simmer
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, water, and salt. Simmer, stirring now and then. Halfway through, mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot to thicken the sauce.
-
Finish
Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then squeeze in the lemon. Taste for salt.
-
Serve
Spoon over rice, with a dollop of yogurt on top.
Notes
- tipKeep ginger in the freezer and grate it frozen, skin and all; it lasts for months.
- tipGaram masala is a spice blend, in the spice aisle of most supermarkets.
- variationFor a richer, milder curry, stir in a can of coconut milk with the tomatoes.
- pairingMicrowave rice pouches keep this a one-pot meal.