My Girlfiend and I have been trying to eat a healthier for the past year or so but as she doesn't think my plan of chicken, brown rice and broccoli for for 14 meals out of the week is such a hot idea I have to be a little more creative in my meal plans.
It's sometimes very hard to come up with meals that my Girlfriend will like as she is a picky eater and has tons of allergies while I'll eat almost anything as long as it doesn't come out of the water (unless it's battered and deep fried) or organ meat :P
Today's meal was a hit though and it was really simple to make and for most people it won't take that long either (I'm a really slow and messy cook!)
This recipe for Chana Masala comes from Spilling the beans by Julie Van Rosendaal & Sue Duncan.
Canola or olive oil for cooking
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Jalapeno or other small chili, chopped (I used 2 but didn't find it spicy enough for my tastes)
3 - 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, grated (I minced mine as I hate grating fresh ginger, I always rip up my fingers!)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Tumeric
3 Tomatoes, Chopped (I used 3 Roma tomatoes and an extra small orange tomato as the romas were not very big.
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped (I forgot to buy this so I left it out :P)
1 Cup Chicken, Vegetable or Beef stock or Water (I use vegetable stock so it ended up vegan)
4 Cups cooked chickpeas or two 19 Oz cans, rinsed and drained.
1) Saute onions until translucent
2) add jalapeno, garlic and ginger and cook until everything is soft and fragrant
3) add spices and cook for another minute
4) Add tomatoes and cilantro and cook for about 5 minutes breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. If the pan is too dry add a little of the stock.
5) When the tomatoes are breaking apart add stock and chick peas to a simmer.
6) Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until everything is soft and the sauce has thickened (I let it cook an extra 5 to let it thicken up even more.
I served it with normal basmati rice and it was very nummy! Next time I'll either try using a hotter chili or add cayenne to it to kick it up a notch as there wasn't much heat to it, it was very flavorful though!
