A Chana Masala (Curried Chickpeas) Recipe From 'Indian As Apple Pie'

Indian As Apple Pie airs on WTTW Saturdays at 4:00 pm and is available to stream via the PBS app.
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Spices are integral to Indian cooking, whether roasted whole and added straight to a dish or in the form of a blend of various spices such as garam masala. These blends are the subject of the third episode of Indian As Apple Pie, in which Anupy Singla demonstrates a chana masala, or curried chickpea, recipe that utilizes two of them. Try it below. 

Chana Masala

You can also use canned chickpeas and skip step 1, making sure to reserve the liquid (aquafaba) from the can. You will need about 2 3/4 cups of cooked chickpeas.  

Keep in mind my recipes always give you full Punjabi flavor. To pull back on the heat, reduce the amount of chiles and red chile powder. To mellow the overall flavor, reduce the chana masala spice by a teaspoon and the garam masala by a half teaspoon. 

For instant pot or slow cooker methods, visit the Indian As Apple Pie website. 

Ingredients

1 cup dried white chickpeas, washed, soaked overnight, and drained (see note above if using canned)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
1 pinch hing 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 small yellow or red onion, minced
1-inch piece ginger, pureed
3 cloves garlic, pureed
1-4 Thai chiles or 1 Serrano, stems removed and thinly sliced 
1 medium tomato, pureed (no peel)
1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
1 tablespoon chana masala
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1-2 teaspoons salt
4 cups aquafaba and/or water 

Directions

1. In a roomy pot, cook the chickpeas in 5-10 cups of water for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water to use later. The more water you use, the more chickpea water or aquafaba you will end up with for the curry. 

2. In a heavy medium-sized pan (a 4-quart works best), heat the oil or ghee until warm. Add the hing, cumin, and turmeric. Stir and cook for about 40 seconds until the seeds sizzle. 

3. Add the onion. Stir and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes until slightly brown. 

4. Add the ginger, garlic, and chiles. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. 

5. Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. The pureed tomato will help deglaze the pan. 

6. Add the chana masala, garam masala, coriander, red chile, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add the chickpeas and aquafaba/water. Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes until all the ingredients pull together and the curry thickens a bit. Garnish with chopped cilantro if you would like and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan.