Beans or commonly known as pulses or we, Indians, say Rajmas, chana etc are very popular all the over the world. They are one of the longest cultivated plants and full of nutrition like protein , iron , and soluble fiber and it helps to lower your cholesterol.. Everywhere beans are included in everyday meals and specially in Mexican and our North-Indian cuisine, beans are very common preparations and here I have shared delicious and simple preparations of beans from all over the world.
Chana masala :::
Chana masala is very popular preparation all over India and in between Indian cuisine lovers around the world but basically this came from northern part of India like Punjabi, UP and famous in Pakistan cuisine too. It is a semi-dry preparation with little spicy and tangy flavor. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans with lots of onion, juicy tangy tomatoes cooked with exotic spices make this dish so unique and mouth-watering along with Bhature or Puri that hardly anyone can resist to try one bite or the whole serving.
Ingredients :::
2 cups of chickpeas / garbanzo beans / kabuli chana,
one large onion, finely chopped
3 big ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp coriander and red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/3 tsp amchoor / dry mango powder,
1/4 tsp anardana or pomegranate seeds powder,
salt to taste,
a pinch of sugar,
3 tbsp of oil,
one cup chopped coriander leaves.
Method :::
1. Wash and soak kabuli chana / garbanzo beans overnight and then boil with salt until cooked or you can use pressure cooker and cook til one whistle. Let it cool and then drain out excess water from chana and keep extra water to use for curry.
2. Heat oil in a pan, sprinkle little sugar and then add chopped onions and saute until onions becomes light pink in color. Then add ginger-garlic paste and then fry for a minute.
3. Now add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder.
Mix all together adding water that you kept aside from cooked kabuli chana. Cook for 10 mins covering the pan on medium flame. Add salt.
4. Once done, add cooked kabuli chana / garbanzo beans and fry on medium flame adding amchoor powder and anardana powder for 3-4 mins and then simmer on low-medium flame for 15-20 mins. When gravy thickens , sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top and serve hot with bhature, puri or simple chapathi.
You can use canned garbanzo beans to avoid soaking and cooking process and just add to the spice mixture. You can use slow cooker for doing the entire process too.
