recipe: chana masala and garlic naan

The cold weather the past few weeks has had me craving Indian food. I’ve bookmarked quite a few recipes to try, but the long list of ingredients for Indian cuisine has always intimidated me a bit. This weekend I finally bit the bullet, and gathered the necessary spices from Spice Bazaar, a tiny Indian grocery (in the mini shopping center in front of Target on 15-501, for any locals). And ohmygoodness, what was I waiting for?? This recipe for chana masala is really easy, and oh so good. And the naan… nom, nom, nom. We will definitely be making this again!

Chana Masala
adapted from Molly Wizenberg

1/4 c olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground ginger
1 t ground turmeric
1 t garam masala
1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t salt
water
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 T chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (I used curry leaves)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water, stir, and cook until water has completely evaporated.

Add tomatoes and their juice, raise heat to medium, and bring to a gentle boil. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, and add cilanto (or curry) leaves. Stirring occasionally, cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add chickpeas, stir, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add 2T water, cook 5 minutes. Add another 2T water and cook until absorbed. (This process of adding and cooking off water helps concentrate the sauce’s flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender.) Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Garnish with cilantro/curry leaves. Serve with rice and naan.

serves 4

Garlic Naan
adapted from Mic at All Recipes

2 1/4 t active dry yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 t salt
4 1/2 c flour
2 t minced garlic

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball, roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle, place on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Flip and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

makes 14 pieces of naan