Chana Aloo Masala
Ordinarily, curries are labor of love, but this one comes together in 1 hour and has everything I am looking for in a curry. I make this chana aloo masala with tender chickpeas, creamy potatoes, and a warm garam masala spice blend. The robust tomato gravy has a restaurant-style quality while still tasting really authentic. It is nourishing, family-friendly, naturally vegan, and gluten-free.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 227kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground ginger or 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 4 cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes 1 can
- 1 tsp salt more to taste
- 1 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper add more to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 30 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 (15 oz) cans
- 5 baby red potatoes diced
- 6 tbsp plain non fat Greek yogurt or coconut milk yogurt optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and red onion and cook, stirring frequently until it is deeply caramelized. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the garlic, cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, garam masala, and cardamom pods, and fry them, stirring constantly, until the cumin seeds pop and the spices are fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the juice and the tomatoes from the can and crush them in the pot with a potato masher. Add the salt and the potatoes.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the cilantro and cayenne, and all of the rest of the spices, and simmer the sauce until it reduces a bit and begins to thicken. Add the chickpeas, and stir to combine.
- Keep simmering the curry on low until the chickpeas and potatoes soften (about 30 minutes).
- Serve and top with cilantro and yogurt.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this chana aloo masala recipe is to take my time caramelizing the onions until they are a deep golden brown and have released their natural sugars. This step builds the base flavor of the curry, and it makes the final product taste as if it has simmered for hours.
- Remove husks from the chickpeas: I sometimes notice the translucent husks detaching from the chickpeas. These can leave a bitter flavor. If I have the time, I boil the chickpeas in a small pot of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. The husks float to the top, and you can easily remove them.
- Keep your spices in the fridge or freezer: I extend the shelf life of certain dry spices by keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. This way, my spices always taste fresh.
- Small potato cubes: I have experimented with larger potato pieces, but quickly discovered that they extended cooking time significantly. I also noticed that larger pieces of potato develop the leather outer layer when cooked in an acid, such as tomato gravy.
- Save your garam masala for last: This is an old school pro tip, instead of adding all your garam masala during the initial cooking stages, save at least 1 spoonful for the very end. Once you have switched off your heat, stir it through and reignite the flavors.
- Remove the cardamom pods: I remove all my cardamom pods before serving. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that picky eaters become grumpy picky eaters when they bite into one of these.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.2g | Protein: 9.9g | Fat: 3.3g | Sodium: 430.2mg | Fiber: 7.3g | Sugar: 7.5g