Chana Masala

This goes really well with basic Indian rice, which includes bay leaves and cumin seeds for flavoring. Use a basmati rice (1:1.5 ratio of rice to water) in the rice cooker with a pinch of salt, maybe a bay leaf with cumin seeds too.

Chana Masala

This was inspired by a Rancho Gordo recipe for how to cook Desi Chana.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Soaking Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Dry Beans
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 353kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Dutch oven
  • Small food processor
  • Immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 1 lb desi chana dry beans Rancho Gordo
  • 1 piece bay leaf
  • 1 piece kombu
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1-2 red onion sliced
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp cilantro chopped

Garlic, Ginger and Serrano Paste

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 2 serrano peppers

Spice Powder

  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 dried Kashmiri chillies
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp corriander seeds
  • 2 tsp black peppercorn
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek leaves
  • tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Soak Beans

  • Rinse the beans and put into a large bowl. Cover with plenty of water. Add salt and set aside for at least 8 hours. You're aiming for 1% salinty, so you can measure the amount of water you add and add 1% salt (by weight). For example, 1 liter would need 10 grams salt.

Cook Beans

  • Drain the soaked beans. Add to a pressure cooker along with 1 bay leaf and 1 piece kombu. Add at least 5 cups water so the beans are well-covered with about ½-inch water. Bring to pressure for 25-30 minutes and allow for at least 25 minutes of natural release (or however long it takes to release pressure).
  • If not cooked once you release the pressure, you can bring to pressure again for another 1 minute and then allow for 10-15 minutes natural pressure release and then check beans again. It will almost certainly be done at that point.

Prepare Masala

  • Make the dry spice powder. Add all of the ingredients to a small food processor. Blend until you have a find powder. It may need to be then further crushed with a mortar and pestle, to make sure it's smooth. Set aside in a small glass or container and rinse the food processor's blade and bowl.
  • Make the ginger, garlic and serrano paste. Add the garlic cloves, ginger and serrano peppers to a small food processor and blend into a fine paste. You may need to scrape the sides a few times to get it to blend properly. (Alternatively you can crush or grate the ginger using other methods and finely chop the serrano peppers before combining together.)
  • Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high in a large Dutch oven. Add the sliced red onions and cook, mostly undisturbed, until softened and browning at the edges. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger and serrano paste and stir well until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the ground spices and mix well, cooking for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Avoid scorching or burning the garlic and spices.
  • Add the can of tomatoes and the 1 tsp sugar. Add salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 10-20 minutes until the sauce has cooked down some and the oil begins to separate. (This is a good time to start to cook rice, if you're serving with rice.)
  • Blend the sauce using an immersion blender. You can add a bit of the water the beans cooked in if the beans are done and you need more liquid in the sauce.
  • Once the beans are done, add to the sauce and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until combined.
  • Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 906mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition Facts
Chana Masala
Amount Per Serving
Calories 353 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 122mg5%
Potassium 906mg26%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 15g63%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 263IU5%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 134mg13%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.