Chana Masala

Not only do I hate, hate, hate packing, but I'm really, really, really awful at it.  For every one item that goes into a box, five items require further investigation, reminiscing, or use.  Needless to say, this ends up making a bigger mess than if I'd just grabbed everything and thrown it into a box. 

It's good now and then to take a break in the midst of the colossal mess to make a mess in the kitchen.  And this is approach is exactly why I'm just so bad at packing. 

If I'm going to make a mess, chana masala is a pretty good outcome.  Full of yummy chickpeas and wonderful Indian spices, it's quick to throw together and cooked up in no time.  I like potatoes in mine, but if you leave them out, you can throw this together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Yes, some messes are definitely worth it. 

Chana Masala

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp amchoor powder (optional)
3 green chilies chopped
1.5 cups chopped tomato
3/4 cup water
2  15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 lemon, juiced

Additional tsp minced ginger (optional)

3 tbsp minced cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger,  turmeric, paprika, garam masala, salt and amchoor if using and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Reduce heat to medium low.  Add the tomatoes, water, potatoes and chickpeas and cook until potatoes are tender and sauce has thickened,  about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, fresh ginger and cilantro if using. Add additional salt to taste.