Curried Chick Peas Chana Dal Food

CHANNA MASALA (CHICKPEA CURRY)

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, about half the onion, the ginger, and rice flour in a blender; blend into a paste.
• Heat the oil and cumin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the cumin swells and turns golden brown. Cook the remaining onion in the hot oil for about 3 minutes. Stir the blended tomato mixture, garbanzo beans, curry powder, and salt into the onions; cover and cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro to serve.

CHANA MASALA (SAVORY INDIAN CHICK PEAS)

Steps:

• Grind onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and chile pepper together in a food processor into a paste.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the paste into the skillet and cook until the oil begins to separate from the mixture and is golden brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with chili powder, coriander, powder, gram masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir enough water into the mixture to get a thick gravy; bring to a boil and stir chickpeas into the gravy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

TRINI CHANA AND ALOO

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, add water to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming the foam, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until chickpeas are tender; drain, keeping the cooking water. (I like to use it later in the recipe; it's also a nice base for soups.)
• Meanwhile, purée the culantro and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth. Add a pinch of salt, the garlic and the chile. (Half a deseeded habanero will make the dish gently but noticeably hot. Adjust from there.) Blend until smooth. Stir the herb purée into the hot, drained chickpeas.
• Rinse and dry the pot. Peel the potato, and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. In the pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the curry powder and turmeric and stir, until very aromatic and just starting to darken. Carefully add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, until you get a little sticking on the bottom of the pot, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a little water to scrape up the stuck parts, then add water to cover by 1/2 inch. (I use the chickpea cooking water, but Dolly Sirju prefers fresh water.) Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
• Bring the pot to a vigorous simmer, shy of a full boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are soft, about 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Chop some more culantro. Serve the curry with long grain white rice or roti, and garnish with chopped culantro.

CURRIED CHICKPEA AND LENTIL DAL

Steps:

• Mustard Seed and Turmeric Oil:
• Cook oil and mustard seeds in a small saucepan over medium-low, swirling often, until mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and stir in turmeric and cayenne. Season with salt; let cool.
• Cilantro-Raisin Chutney:
• Mix shallot, raisins, cilantro stems, lime juice, and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stew and assembly:
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook onions and garlic, cut side down, and ginger, stirring onions and ginger occasionally, until onions are translucent and garlic is golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add curry powder and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 5 cups water, stirring to release any bits stuck on bottom of pot; season with several pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer; cover with a lid, leaving slightly askew so steam can escape. Cook, adjusting heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and skimming foam from surface as needed, until chickpeas have swelled about 50 percent in size but are still crunchy, 25-30 minutes.
• Add coconut milk and lentils to pot; season with more salt. Return to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until chickpeas are tender and lentils have broken down to form a thick broth, 30-35 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Ladle dal into bowls and serve with toasted Mustard Seed and Turmeric Oil, Cilantro-Raisin Chutney, coconut, chiles, and/or cilantro as desired.
• Do Ahead
• Oil can be made 1 day ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Chutney can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Dal can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

CHANA DAL (SPLIT CHICKPEA CURRY)

Steps:

• Soak: Add chana dal to a pot and cover with water. Let soak for 1 to 2 hours (or 8 hours, if starting in the morning before work). Strain before using.
• Base: Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot, then add onion, ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Cook until onion is softened and fragrant (about 3 minutes), then add the whole can of diced tomatoes, strained chana dal, and water.
• Cook: Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chana dal is soft enough to be pinched between two fingers (about 25 to 40 minutes). Add more water, as needed, until chana dal has cooked through. Season with salt, taste, and add more salt/garam masala as needed.
• Serve: Serve warm with rice, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. I also love it with a dollop of plain yogurt and some homemade naan!

CURRIED CHICK-PEAS ( CHANA DAL)

Steps:

• In a large sieve or colander, wash the chickpeas under cold running water until the draining water runs clear. Drop the chick-peas into a large bowl or pan, pour in enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches., and let them soak at room temperature uncovered for 12 hours or overnight.
• Drain the chick-peas in a large colander or sieve, place them in a heavy 3-4 quart saucepan, and add the tea leaves, salt, and 4 cups of the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer.
• In a separate 3-4 quart saucepan, heat the ghee over high heat until a drop of water flicked into it splutters instantly. Add the cumin seeds and stir 30 seconds,then add the onions and ginger. Lower the heat to moderate and, stirring constantly, fry the mixture for 7-8 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden brown.
• Watch carefully for signs of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, red pepper, and 1 Tblsp. of water, and fry for 1 minute. Then add the chick-peas, their cooking liquid and the remaining 1 cup of water.
• Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the chick-peas are tender but still intact. Taste for seasoning, ladle the entire contents of the pan into a heated bowl. Sprinkle with the fresh coriander and serve at once.

CHANNA DAL (CURRIED CHICKPEAS)

Steps:

• Put chickpeas in a bowl. Add enough cold water to cover and soak overnight.
• To cook, drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas, water, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer for about 1 hour.
• In a large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add cumin seed and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion turns golden brown.
• Add chickpeas and cooking liquid to onion mixture. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender but not mushy. Mix well.
• Place chickpeas in a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

CHANNA (CURRIED CHICKPEA FILLING FOR ROTI)

Steps:

• Heat the oil or ghee in a skillet and saute the onions over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes, or until they are golden brown. When the onions are almost done, add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Add the curry and amchar powders and stir for 1 minute.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a cast iron or other heavy pot and add the chickpeas. Stir over medium heat until chickpeas are coated with the spices and onions. Add 1 cup of water, the Scotch bonnet pepper and salt to taste; stir. Bring to a simmer, cover and let simmer over low heat for 1/2 hour. (If the mixture dries out, add a little more water; the finished channa should be slightly thicker than a thick bean soup.) Let cool for a few minutes before adding to the roti.