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Punjabi Channa

Created Tuesday 09 April 2019

Source: NYT

Description

YIELD 4 servings
TIME 1 1/2 hours

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.

450

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 ½ teaspoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or as needed

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon garam masala

  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained

  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

  • Cooked rice for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

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