Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Here’s something you could cook tonight for supper - a chickpea curry with some brown/basmati rice. It is relatively easy to make and full of flavour and deliciousness! This dish is probably the most popular vegetarian dish in India and can be eaten in so many ways, changing up the spices used. This recipe is relatively straightforward - and I use mango powder to give the dish it’s renowned subtle tangy taste.

As mentioned previously, chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein and insoluble and soluble fibre. Fibre is great for facilitating healthy digestion, helping food move quickly through the gut, relieving issues such as constipation. This high protein-high fibre combination means that they are broken down by your body more slowly - great if you are looking for foods that do not cause a sudden spike of glucose in the blood.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Rapeseed oil
Knob of butter (optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 white onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tbsp. ginger, finely grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
3 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped
1 can (400g) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ tsp garam masala
⅓ tsp mango powder (amchoor)
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Salt

Method:

Grab a large pan and heat a glug of rapeseed oil and the butter. Once hot add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Then add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes on a medium heat, until softened.
Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilli and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
After this, add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and cook for 1 minute. Then add in your tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking down the tomato with your wooden spoon.
Add the chickpeas, garam masala, mango powder and salt to taste. Then add enough boiling water to come to the top of the chickpeas, bring to a boil, place the lid on the pan and then simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
I like to thicken the sauce by smashing up some of the chickpeas using my wooden spoon - it’s completely up to you!
Serve in a large bowl with some brown rice and finish off with chopped coriander to serve.