Chana Masala

Ingredients

• 2 × 400 g tins chickpeas, drained
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 25 g ginger, grated
• 2 green chillies, split
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 400 g tinned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ lemon, juiced
• fresh coriander
• 300 g basmati rice, to serve
• salt

Method

1. Brown the onions

   Fry the onions in the oil until genuinely golden brown, not just softened. Ten minutes here is worth more than any spice.

   12 min

2. Aromatics

   Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for two minutes.

3. Toast the spices

   Stir in the cumin, coriander and turmeric and fry for a minute in the oil until fragrant.

4. Simmer

   Add the tomatoes and chickpeas with a splash of water, season, and simmer until thickened and the oil rises.

   15 min

5. Finish

   Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice off the heat — adding garam masala at the end keeps it aromatic.

6. Serve

   Scatter with coriander and serve with basmati rice.