Curry Channa And Aloo Food

CURRY CHANNA AND ALOO

Steps:

• Pick over chickpeas, remove any stones and debris and wash with several changes of water. Soak chickpeas in about 5 cups of water overnight. Drain.
• Add 8 cups of water and chickpeas to a saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. After it comes to a vigorous boil, reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until fork tender but not mushy, about 20-25 minutes(could take longer on your stove). Strain, reserving liquid (produces about 5 cups of liquid).
• Grate or mince garlic. Mince culantro. Peel, wash and cut potatoes in quarters lengthwise, wash and roughly chop scallions and thyme. [chopped thyme sprigs are inedible and could be dangerous for kids. For this reason, I usually keep thyme whole and remove whole sprigs after cooking is complete.]
• Make curry paste. Mix curry, half of garlic(6 cloves), minced culantro (bandhania) and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl.
• Pour oil into a large heavy bottomed pot over high heat, heat. When hot, add methi, cook until it darkens. Add the onion and hot pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Add remainder of garlic and cook until the edges of the onion become golden brown.
• Add curry paste and cook until it darkens, becomes grainy and fragrant and separates from oil, about 3-5 minutes. At this point you can rinse the "curry paste" bowl with a little water{1 tablespoon} and add to pot.
• Add potatoes and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add chickpeas, scallion, thyme, remainder of minced culantro and salt. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent chickpeas and potatoes from sticking.
• Add reserved liquid and enough water to cover the chickpeas and potatoes, about 5-6 cups. Stir, scraping up the spices at the bottom of the pot.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, [stirring every 8 minutes and cutting potatoes in half using spoon], until potatoes are tender and sauce thickens (but not totally evaporated), about 40-60 minutes. [At the end of cooking, I mash about 4 pieces of potato with the back of the spoon to allow the sauce to thicken more rapidly]. If the chickpeas are not tender enough for your liking, continue to add two cups of water, in increments, until it's your desired texture. Some like it more firm than others. It helps to stir the pot repeatedly for about 5 minutes to bring it to the right consistency.
• Remove cover, stir in cumin and chopped culantro and cook for an additional 5 minutes until sauce thickens but is not totally evaporated.
• Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken further.

EASY CHICKPEA CURRY WITH POTATO (CHANA ALOO CURRY)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot or very deep skillet over medium high heat.
• Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
• Add Curry Spices and stir for 1 minute.
• Add the potatoes and stir to coat in the Spices. If the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a tiny splash of water.
• Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and vegetable or chicken broth. Bring to simmer then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
• Adjust salt to taste, stir through scallions/shallots and parsley.
• Serve with rice - basmati would be ideal, or Coconut Rice if you're wanting to impress. To go all out, add some Easy Soft Flatbreads!

CHANA AND ALOO (CHICKPEA AND POTATO CURRY)

Steps:

• Heat a medium sized pot on medium high with some oil.
• When oil is hot add in onion, bay leaf, chili, cumin & mustard seeds.
• Sauté until the onion starts to go translucent add in garlic.
• Sauté until mixture starts to brown add in sugar and curry powder. Add in more oil as needed.
• Fry until mixture becomes dark brown not burnt it doesn't take to long and add in coconut milk, stir well. (This is a great basic curry).
• Add in your potatoes and chickpeas, at this point you may need to add in some water, you want the liquid to be about one inch below the vegetable level. Stir well.
• Bring mixture to a boil, stir and turn heat down to medium low, cover and cook, stirring the curry every few minutes, until potatoes are done. It is ok if the potatoes fall apart in fact it is yummier that way. Takes 15-20 minutes.
• Add salt to taste.
• Great on it's own, with some naan bread or on some rice.

ALOO CHANNA TARKARI (POTATO AND GARBANZO BEANS IN A CURRY)

Steps:

• heat oil and add cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seeds - stir fry 1-2 mins till fragnant and crackling.
• add cubed potatoes and garbanzo beans and 2 - 2 1/2 cups of water and salt.
• add a drop or two of food color, crushed black pepper, crushed red chillies and turmeric.
• cover and let the potatoes and garbanzo cook about 10 mins or until the curry seems to thicken a little.
• with the back of a spoon, mash some of the potatoes and beans, add a little more water and let cook another 10 - 15 mins till the curry has thickened.
• mix in lemon juice, stir well.
• pour into serving dish, garnish with mint leaves and serve.

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.