Channa masala (Chola masala)

This is a wonderful "confort food" dish - which is really very easy to make. Channa Masala is spicy masala chickpeas - and can be as mild or as hot as you like it! It is a classic North Indian vegetarian dish - and is either eaten with rice or roti (chappati) as a main meal - or is served as a side-dish with a non-veg dish e.g. chicken or lamb. When served as a main meal - it is especially delicious when eaten with a kind of bread called "bhatura" - which is a deep-fried bread. It is also served as a mid-afternoon snack in the form of a "chaat" - which is when it is mixed with a couple of spoonfulls of imli (tamarind) chutney and poured on top of a broken samosa with some sprinkling of bhel puri or "sev" fried bits. Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients :

1. Chick peas - 1 cup
2. 1 medium size potato (Boiled)
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. Corriander powder - 1 tsp
6. Onion - 2 nos
7. 1 Tomato
8. Fennel seed - 1 tsp1
9. Green chillies - 2-3 nos
10. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
11. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
12. Chola masala - 1 tsp
13. Dry kasthuri methi powder - 1 tsp
14. Salt to taste

Method :

1. Soak dry chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight. Add salt to taste to the soaked chickpeas. Boil in the same water for about ½ hour or until chickpeas are tender.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan, fry fennel seeds. Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, tomato & salt , saute it till cooked. Grind this onion mixture & keep it aside.

3. Heat oil in the another saucepan, add the onion mixture & all the remaining ingredients. Cook till you get the desired consistency.

4. Garnish it with corriander leaves. Adding kasthuri methi & potato will increase the flavour & taste to this dish.

Serve this hot with roti.