Make chana masala your new weeknight dinner hero
The allure of chana masala, arguably one of North India’s most popular vegetarian dishes, is multifaceted. It’s visually stunning, incredibly fragrant, and, most importantly, downright flavorful. It’s also a practical dish that can be prepared in less than an hour using ingredients you probably already have on hand.
We made a couple of discoveries that gave our recipe layers of flavor. For one, we opted for canned chickpeas because their flavor and texture were nearly indistinguishable from those of chickpeas that are cooked from dried, and we didn’t drain them because the canning liquid added body and savory depth to the dish. We also found that adding stronger foundational spices such as cumin, turmeric, and fennel seeds at the beginning of cooking ensured that they permeated the dish, and reserving the sweet, delicate garam masala until near the end preserved its aroma.
A generous garnish of chopped onion, sliced chile, and cilantro added so much vibrancy, texture, and freshness that you’d never guess that most of the ingredients in the recipe were from the pantry.
Chana Masala
Serves 4 to 6
1 small red onion, quartered, divided
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
1 (1 1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped coarse
2 garlic cloves, chopped coarse
2 serrano chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded and sliced thin crosswise, divided
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