Chana masala along with bhatura, naan and even pao is one of the favorite Indian street foods and is savored in almost every household. The spicy and tangy dish is a perfect delectable balance of taste and flavor. Though it is a staple in every north or Punjabi household, chanas are adored in the southern and eastern part of the country as well with every region having its own different style of cooking. The dish called out by many names -- chana masala or chole masala or pindi chole, is prepared with white chickpeas or kabuli chanas, cooked in a tomato based sauce with onions and a host of aromatic Indian spices. The recipe given here is one of the easiest ways to cook chana masala without much of fanfare, with simple ingredients easily available at home.
Soak white chickpeas or kabuli chanas overnight.
Pressure cook the soaked white chickpeas with a tied tea leaves pouch or a tea bag and salt over medium flame. After 5-6 whistles, turn off the flame and let the pressure come down naturally.
Open the lid and discard the tea bag.
Drain out excess water from the boiled chanas and keep them aside to begin preparations for making the masala.
Heat a deep dish pan.
Thereafter, add one tablespoon cumin seeds, one dry bay leaf, two to three cloves, one grated coconut, two to three small cardamoms, one big cardamom, three to four black peppercorns, one dry red chili, one inch piece of cinnamon and one tablespoon fresh Dabur Hommade Lemoneez and roast them till they start releasing aromatic fragrance.
Switch off the flame and let the mix cool down.
Thereafter, put them in a mixer and grind into a dry powder, which makes the Punjabi chana masala powder.
Heat another pan and add three to four tablespoons oil in it.
Thereafter, add one tablespoon fresh Dabur Hommade Ginger Garlic Paste and one finely chopped large onion and sauté till it turns brown.
Also add finely chopped green chili and two ripe tomatoes, cut into very fine pieces and cook till tomatoes turn tender.
Thereafter, add half teaspoon red chili powder, one teaspoon turmeric powder, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon coriander powder and one teaspoon black pepper powder and stir it properly, mixing everything.
Cook it in low heat for at least 10 minutes, till the onions and tomatoes leave oil.
Then add the grinded chana masala and stir properly, adding a little water to balance our spices together.
Thereafter, add the boiled chanas and stir well and cook it till one boil.
Once the gravy thickens a little bit, turn off the stove and garnish the dish with chopped coriander and onion rings.
Serve hot with pooris, naan, bhature or rice and as an accompaniment you can also serve green chutney and few lemon wedges.
If there is no pressure cooker, you can also boil the chickpeas in a pan for at least 45 minutes to an hour. This chana masala recipe can be made into dry as well as a gravy version and hence water can be adjusted accordingly. Do make sure to adjust salt and chili according to the taste in the family. Also, if you do not have enough time to soak the chickpeas overnight in water, put them in hot water for 3-4 hours along with a teaspoon of baking soda to help them soften faster in a boil.