Slow cookers are blessings in disguise for those busy week nights. You throw in everything, turn it on and you return to a house ready with home-cooked food and smell that puts air-fresheners to shame. Chana masala is a popular, delectable dish: Chickpeas cooked in a mild onion, tomato gravy. Serve it over white rice or with a garlic naan and you have a healthy, vegan and delicious meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans ( chickpeas )
- 1 onion
- 1 inch ginger
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tbsp. chana masala
- 1 tbsp. garam masala
- 1/2 tsp. paprika/cayenne pepper - adjust according to taste
- 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom (crush it)
- 2-3 cloves
PROCESS
1. Soak the garbanzo beans overnight in 4 cups of water.
2. Finely chop onion, ginger and garlic in your mini food processor.
3. In a saute pan, allow the oil to heat
4. Add bay leaf, black cardamom, cloves and cook on medium heat until fragrant.
5. Add chopped onions, Cook until it turns light brown.
6. Add chopped ginger and garlic and let it cook for 4-5 minutes until you don't smell the raw flavor.
7. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and chana masala ( The Indian stores are loaded with chana masala; my favorite is the Punjabi Chana Masala by Badshah.)
8. Cover for 2 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.
9. Keep stirring the masala, until the tomatoes mixes with the onion-ginger-garlic paste, and the dry spices are cooked.
10. Add chick peas to your slow cooker.
12. Add the onion -garlic- ginger-tomato masala and add around 4 cups of water.
13. Cook for 8 hours on the HIGH setting and 2 hours on LOW to let it simmer.
