Chana Masala

660 Curries contains something like half a dozen chana masala variants. This is the one simply titled "Chickpeas in a Spicy Tomato Sauce (Chana Masala)".

Despite not having whole chilis in it, I find this more spicy than the vindaloo without the moderating influence of the vinegar.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. (32mL) ghee or oil
• 1 tsp. (5mL) cumin seeds, whole
• 1 tsp. (5mL) cumin seeds, ground
• 2 Tbsp. (32mL) ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. (16mL) garlic paste
• 2 Tbsp. (32mL) tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. (16mL) coriander seeds, ground
• 1 Tbsp. (16mL) amchor (unripe mango powder) or lime juice
• 1 tsp. (5mL) cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5mL) turmeric
• 1L cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 c. (64mL) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. (5mL) coarse salt
• 1/2 c. (128mL) finely chopped red onion

Procedure

1. Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle in the whole cumin seeds and cook until they sizzle and turn reddish-brown and fragrant, 10-15 seconds. Immediately lower the heat to medium and add the ginger and garlic pastes. Stir-fry until they start to brown, ~2 minutes.
3. Add 256mL water and the tomato paste, coriander, amchor, cayenne, turmeric, and ground cumin. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has cooked off, leaving you with a thick, reddish-orange sauce, 5-10 minutes.
4. Add 512mL water, the chickpeas, the salt, and half of the cilantro. Raise the heat back to medium-high and cook, stirring occasoinally, until the sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and top with the onions and remaining cilantro. Serve over rice or naan.