Chana Masala, Easy Chana Masala Recipe

Chana Masala, Easy Chana Masala Recipe.

Easy Chana Masala recipe using masala powder. Hearty Indian Chickpea curry. With step by step pictures.

There are so many different ways in which you can do a hearty Chana Masala. This is the Chana Masala I make when I need to feed a crowd. Whenever there is an Indian party or a pot luck, someone is always bringing Chana Masala. Chana Masala is hearty, liked universally by everyone and it tastes delicious. I pressure cook the chick pea and add it to the Chana Masala gravy. People soak the dry chickpeas in water over night. But, I usually soak the chickpeas for just 2-3 hours and then pressure cook it for 20 minutes. It comes out fantastically, every single time. Here is how to do a Chana Masala that will feed a crowd.

Soak the chickpeas for 2-3 hours. You can soak it over night if you want to but it just works fine with 3 hours. I soaked 1.5 cups of chickpea. Boil the chickpea in a pressure cooker with 6 cups of water for 20 minutes in medium flame. After 20 minutes, remove the cooker and let the pressure release naturally on its own. Set aside.

In the mean time, heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and the cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the chopped onions.

When the onions are frying, puree ginger and garlic with 1/4 cup of water in a blender. Set aside.

Fry till onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.

Puree 5-6 tomatoes in a blender and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and Chana Masala powder. You can use any store bought Chana Masala powder.

Add in the cooked chickpea along with the water if any. Add in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 40 minutes until thick. Keep stirring once every 10 minutes, so it does not scorch at the bottom.

Once the gravy is thick, remove off heat.

Serve the Chana Masala hot.

• 1 1/2 cups chickpea chana
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 medium sized onions, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 5 - 6 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chana masala powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and the cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the chopped onions. Fry till onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
3. Puree 5-6 tomatoes in a blender and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and Chana Masala powder. You can use any store bought Chana Masala powder.
4. Add in the cooked chickpea along with the water if any. Add in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 40 minutes until thick. Keep stirring once every 10 minutes, so it does not scorch at the bottom.
5. Once the gravy is thick, remove off heat.
6. Serve hot.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Indian

• 1 1/2 cups chickpea chana
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 medium sized onions, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 5 - 6 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chana masala powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and the cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the chopped onions. Fry till onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
3. Puree 5-6 tomatoes in a blender and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and Chana Masala powder. You can use any store bought Chana Masala powder.
4. Add in the cooked chickpea along with the water if any. Add in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 40 minutes until thick. Keep stirring once every 10 minutes, so it does not scorch at the bottom.
5. Once the gravy is thick, remove off heat.
6. Serve hot.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/easy-chana-masala-recipe/

Spicy Nellore Chepala Pulusu – Andhra Fish Curry

Nellore Chepala Pulusu. Tangy Andhra Style Telugu Fish curry in tamarind Sauce.

Nellore Chepala Pulusu – Andhra Style Telugu Fish Curry – I first saw about this recipe on a cooking show run by Chef Venkatesh Bhat. I love regional recipes a lot. They can’t be beat any day. On top of that, the Chef mentioned that he learned the Nellore Chepala Pulusu recipe at the farm house of the legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The chef said that he loved this Nellore Chepala Pulusu fish curry. That was good enough to get me cooking. I have made it several times now and we love this Nellore Chepala Pulusu recipe at home too. Nellore Chepala Pulusu is tangy, spicy and finger licking good. The original Nellore Chepala Pulusu recipe did not have pepper and coriander but a lot of cookbooks mention it. I have made it both ways and I think the addition of pepper adds a little earthiness to the dish. Here is my adapted version of Nellore Chepala Pulusu – ANR Style.

Here is the video recipe of how to make Spicy Nellore Chepala Pulusu – Andhra Fish Curry

Heat 4-6 tablespoons of Gingely (sesame) Oil in a pan. Be generous with the oil. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Lots of curry leaves. I used about 3 sprigs. Fry until the curry leaves are crisp.

Add in the finely minced garlic, chopped green chillies and finely chopped shallots (small onions). Add green chillies according to your taste. Fry till they are lightly brown. The oil will bubble up if you are using gingely oil. Its fine.

Soak a big lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of hot water. Let it soak for 20 minutes. Make a pulp by squeezing the tamarind well. Strain the pulp to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.

Puree 6 tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.

Add in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add in a teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder and 3 teaspoons of coriander powder (dhania). The ratio being 1:2:3. Add in the salt. Add 2 more cup of water.

Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes covered on a low flame stirring every 5 minutes once. After 30 minutes the oil would start to float on top. That is a sure sign that the gravy has been cooked.

Add in the fish pieces and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe.

When the fish is cooking, lets make a spice powder for the curry. Heat a heavy pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper on a low flame for 5 minutes. Low flame is key. Do not rush. Dry roast until everything starts to pop and starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool on a plate. If you are doing more than this quantity, dry roast everything separately.

Once the mixture is cooled, grind to a very fine powder.

Add the powder to the pan. Simmer for a minute. Remove Nellore Chepala Pulusu off heat and serve hot.

Serve Nellore Chepala Pulusu with hot rice. Left overs can be stored in the refrigerator and tastes heavenly the next day.

Here is a printable recipe for Nellore Chepala Pulusu.

Main Ingredients

• 4 tablespoon gingely (Indian sesame) oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 3 dried red chillies
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 8 cloves minced garlic
• 4 green chillies
• 15 - 20 shallots (small onions)
• 1 lime size tamarind
• 6 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 500 grams fresh water fish with bones
• 4 cups water (divided)

For the Spice Powder

• 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat 6-8 tablespoons of Gingely (sesame) Oil in a pan. Be generous with the oil. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Fry until the curry leaves are crisp.
2. Add in the finely minced garlic, chopped green chillies and finely chopped shallots (small onions). Add green chillies according to your taste. Fry till they are lightly brown. The oil will bubble up if you are using gingely oil. Its fine.
3. Soak a big lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of hot water. Let it soak for 20 minutes. Make a pulp by squeezing the tamarind well. Strain the pulp to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.
4. Puree 6 tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.
5. Add in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add in a teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder and 3 teaspoons of coriander powder (dhania). The ratio being 1:2:3. Add in the salt. Add 2 more cups of water.
6. Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes covered on a low flame stirring every 5 minutes once. After 30 minutes the oil would start to float on top. That is a sure sign that the gravy has been cooked.
7. Add in the fish pieces and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe.
8. When the fish is cooking, lets make a spice powder for the curry. Heat a heavy pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper on a low flame for 5 minutes. Low flame is key. Do not rush. Dry roast until everything starts to pop and starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool on a plate. Once the mixture is cooled, grind to a very fine powder.
9. Add the powder to the pan. Simmer for a minute. Remove off heat and serve hot with rice.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Non-Veg
• Cuisine: South Indian