Recipe

October 17, 2017

Deliciously Ella’s Chana Masala

Recipe: Ella Mills

Try this recipe for Chana Masala from Deliciously Ella’s new cookbook, Natural Feasts: 100+ Healthy, Plant-Based Recipes To Share And Enjoy With Friends And Family

Absolutely delicious and filled with incredible spices that really transform the chickpeas. I also add leeks and spinach, as I love getting the extra veg in and they add a great flavor, plus the green of the spinach makes the meal look beautiful, too.

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 curry leaves, or 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • Two 14 5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 green finger chiles, halved lengthwise
  • Salt and pepper
  • Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 9 oz. baby spinach
  • Juice of 1⁄2 lemon cilantro leaves, to serve

Directions

Yield: Serves 6

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and throw in the curry leaves, if using. Let them sizzle away and release their flavor for a few minutes, then drop in the leek and stir.
  2. Next add the dry spices — including the curry powder if you’re not using curry leaves — and stir so that they’re mixed nicely with the leek. Let this cook for a few minutes before adding the onion, ginger and garlic; at this point you can add 1-2 tablespoons water if things are starting to stick to the pan. Cook for a few minutes before adding the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles and plenty of salt and pepper. After you’ve poured in the tomatoes from their cans, swish a little water around in each to get the remaining juice, then add this to the saucepan, too. Let everything bubble away for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the spinach, just until it wilts. Let cool slightly, then stir in the lemon juice and serve in shallow bowls, sprinkling cilantro leaves over the curry.
Source:

Excerpted from Natural Feasts by Ella Mills. Text copyright © 2017 by Ella Mills.  Photography copyright © 2016 by Clare Winfield. Excerpted with permission by Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.