Chickpea Cholay a.k.a. Channa Masala

Hi,

Here is some information to help any new cooks with making Channa Masala. Atleast this is how I do it. Any enhancements and suggestions are welcome.

Ingredients:

Basic ingredients:
A couple of handfulls of Chickpeas
A large ripe tomato cut in quarters
A large red onion cut in quarters
A couple of green chillies
A pinch of jaggery
A small clove of garlic
A bit of ginger
A tablespoon of Sunflower oil
A teaspoon of Garam Masala
A couple of teaspoons of Cholay Masala
Salt to taste

For the seasoning:
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of Mustard seeds
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tablespoon of Ghee (clarified butter)

For the garnish:
Washed and finely chopped fresh coriander

The Procedure:
Step 1: Firstly, let the chickpeas soak immersed in water for a couple of hours. This will make the chickpeas easier to cook.

Step 2: Cook the soaked chickpeas in sufficient water till they are soft. The best way of doing this is to use a pressure cooker and cook the chickpeas in it for 4-5 whistles of steam. Alternately you may use a pan on a stove or the microwave if you are adept at that. :-). Drain the water and keep aside the cooked chickpeas for now. Make sure the chickpeas are fully cooked by testing one with your finger.

Step 3: Making the Gravy:
The key to the flavours in the dish is the gravy. Grind the cut onion and tomato in a food processor/mixie in a puree. In the process of the grinding, add the chillies, garlic, ginger and jaggery to the puree and grind to a fine paste.

Get a pan onto the stove. Warm a tablespoon of sunflower oil in it and add the puree into the pan and sizzle-fry it. The aim of this exercise is to take away any of the raw sharp flavours/smells of the onion and garlic. Add required water to maintain the gravy at a reasonable consistency. Keep the gravy to a boil for a few minutes. (In case you added extra water boil it off!)

Step 4: Putting it all together:
Once the gravy is cooked at the proper consistency, add the cooked chickpeas into it and continue to cook. Add the Garam Masala and the Cholay Masala. Make sure you stir the gravy occassionally to keep it from sticking onto the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste. When cooked enough, take the pan off the stove.

Step 5: The seasoning:
Warm the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, mustard and a pinch of turmeric in. As the mustard and cumin seeds splutter, take the pan off the stove and add the spluttering mixture into the gravy. Please be careful not to get some of the spluttering ghee on your hands as that can be a little un-nerving! Ladle out some of the gravy into the spluttering pan to take out all of the ghee in it. Mix the gravy well.

Step 6: The Final Garnish:
Finally, get the cooked, seasoned Cholay into a serving pot. Garnish the Cholay by sprinkling some finely chopped coriander onto it.

Serve the cholay as a side dish with chappathis, pooris or rice.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe. Bon apetite!