Chana Masala

• 720 gdrained chickpeas (from three 400 g tins), rinsed
• 5garlic cloves, minced
• 400 gchopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2onions, finely diced
• 25 gfresh ginger, grated
• 2 tspgaram masala
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspchilli powder
• 200 mlwater
• salt
• 2 tspamchur powder
• 2 tbsplemon juice, only if replacing the amchur (optional)
• 2 tspground coriander
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 600 gcooked basmati rice or 4 warm naan breads (optional)
• 15 gcoriander leaves, torn
• 200 gkachumber made with diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, coriander and lemon juice (optional)
• 1green chilli, thinly sliced, optional (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt; the salt pulls moisture out and helps them break down; and cook, stirring regularly, for 14–16 minutes until deep amber and jammy at the edges. This is the base of the sauce; rushing it gives you a pale, thin curry.
2. 2Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
3. 3Tip in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and stir constantly for 45–60 seconds to fry them in the hot oil.
4. 4Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens a shade and smells sweet rather than sharp. Add the chopped tomatoes along with a good splash of the measured water. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with the back of your spoon, until the sauce is thick and you see the oil pooling at the edges.
5. 5Add the chickpeas and the rest of the water, bring back to a simmer, then partially cover and cook for 15 minutes so the chickpeas drink up the spiced sauce.
6. 6Mash about a quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon. The released starch thickens the sauce and binds everything into one cohesive body rather than chickpeas swimming in gravy.
7. 7Stir in the garam masala and the amchur powder (or the lemon juice if using). Simmer uncovered for a final 5 minutes to pull the flavours together.
8. 8Divide the chana masala between four bowls and scatter with the torn coriander. Add the optional sliced green chilli if using. Serve with the optional heated cooked rice or warm naan and kachumber alongside.

Per serving

kcal

415

protein

16.7g

fibre

16.1g

carbs

51.4g

fat

14.5g