Kanwal’s Healthy Corner – Channa Masala

 A couple of weeks ago I developed sweet recipe using chickpea flour. This week I decided to develop a savory recipe using actual chickpeas. Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo beans are such a versatile bean. Puree them with some extra virgin olive oil and tahini, and you’ve got yourself a great hummus. Fry them up and you’ve got yourself a crunchy fiber filled snack. Toss these wonderful meaty beans on a salad, and you now have a hearty meal. Sauté them with some spices, and you will have yourself a flavorful dish which can be enjoyed with rice or roti.  

Some of the benefits of this nutty bean are:

  • A half cup serving has only 100 calories and less than 1 gram of fat
  • Per serving you are getting 7 grams of fiber (FYI, women you need 20-25 grams/day, men 30-35 grams/day)
  • Chickpeas provide a healthy dose of iron and calcium
  • Over 5 grams of protein per serving

    • Enjoy this wonderful recipe for Channa Masala. A very easy and delicious recipe to make with your chickpeas!

    INGREDIENTS

  • Two 14oz cans of Chickpeas, drained
  • One medium tomato, diced
  • One medium onion thinly sliced
  • Two tablespoons of cumin seeds
  • Three tablespoons of tamarind paste
  • One half tablespoon of salt
  • Two tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • One tablespoon of garam masala
  • Three tablespoons of tomato puree
  • Two dried chilies
  • Chili powder, as needed
  • 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric
  • Two teaspoons of coriander powder
  • Two cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 inch of ginger, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro

    • PREPARATION

    Add the oil to a hot saucepan. Sautee the onions on medium heat, until translucent. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for another five minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute. Add the salt, dry chilies, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

     
    Add the diced tomatoes and chili powder and sauté for another minute. Add the tomato puree and tamarind paste. Stir in the chickpeas. Add enough water to just cover the chickpeas.

    Allow this to come to a boil, then reduce he and allow sauce to thicken.

    Once sauce has thickened to desired consistency, stir in the cilantro, then take off of heat.

    Allow this to slightly cool.  Serve with freshly sliced onions on top.  Eat with warm/toasted whole wheat pita. Enjoy!!

    ABOUT KANWAL

    My name is Kanwal Ullah. I am a 27 year old IT Professional living in good old Jersey City, NJ. As some of you may know, I have a deep passion for healthy living. Most importantly, healthy living starts with what you put in your body. Therefore, my passion also exists in healthy cooking. When I’m not in the kitchen working on healthy recipes, you can find me at the gym or roaming the streets of NYC for great food finds. Born as the daughter of two wonderful Pakistani parents, I particularly crave the culture and food from my ancestors. However, I do not like the fat and calories that have crossed continents to get to me! My passion has developed into revamping our South Asian Cuisine to make it more heart healthy and figure friendly! Bon Appetit!

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    This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 6:36 am and is filed under Recipes.

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    One Response to “Kanwal’s Healthy Corner – Channa Masala”

    1. inguna:
      Oct 17th, 09 at 20:41

      Thank you for posting this! I just made it – it was delicious and easy to make. ( although i didn’t have the tamarind paste and omitted onions).

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