PUNJABI CHANA

Punjabi Chana image

An Indian chickpea stew, Punjabi chana is a plain-Jane of a dish: beige beans in a tomato-based spiced sauce, flecked with minced cilantro. Mixed with rice, though, it becomes a soulful meal whose charms are hard to resist. This version of the dish came to The Times from Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez, then the chef and owner of Lassi, a tiny sliver of an Indian cafe in Greenwich Village, since closed.

Provided by Elaine Louie

Categories dinner, main course

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small Thai bird chili, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Cooked rice for serving (optional)

Steps:

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
Purée mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and place over medium heat. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed (up to 1 1/2 cups) to prevent burning. When ready to serve, sauce should be thick. If necessary, uncover pan and allow sauce to reduce for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until desired consistency. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed and serve with cooked rice, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 364, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 56 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 16 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 786 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams

RubenIsAGamer

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Overall, I thought this recipe was pretty good. The chana was flavorful and the sauce was creamy. However, I found that the dish was a bit too oily for my taste.