Day 43: April 5, 2015 - Vegan Channa Masala - Νηστίσιμα Ρεβύθια σε Στυλ Μασάλα

We like Indian food.  There are a few restaurants around Toronto that we really enjoy, we know and trust, even though there are so many more from which to choose.  Sometimes, we are creatures of habit.  And, today was one of those days when we really wanted that little bit of spice, that lingering scent, and the sauciness of most menu items.  But, we asked ourselves, "Why don't we eat at Indian restaurants during Great Lent, even though much of the food is vegetarian?"  Our answer was this:  In many dishes of Indian cuisine, the food is made with Ghee, a butter product (animal), but we would not know which ones those were.  So, we found another solution.

There are several ethnic markets near us, and one of them we frequent to buy beans, pulses, and legumes.  It is an Indian Suraby (meaning store).  Sometimes, we find more interesting things to buy, like some rare vegetable or fruit, or even a mix that will make one of the dishes that we enjoy.  That was our luck today!  We found a dried spice mix to make Chana Masala, also known as Curried Chick Peas.  We read the ingredients to make sure that there was no ghee in the list, and then, we spent the $1.59 to buy the box and try it. The box came with two sealed envelopes, each capable of making enough channa masala for at least two people; the spice mixture, in other words, is very affordable.

There were actually two choices to buy, this one in a box, and another that came in a spice shaker.  They seemed to have the similar ingredients and directions.  It was not easy to decide which one to buy.  We ended up buying the spice shaker, too, figuring we should try that one and see which one of these we like more, and then, keep one on hand for these moments when chana masala is the only food that will satisfy.  We are focusing on the box because of the thorough directions on the back of the package.

When we read the directions, and how clear they were, we realised that this could be a quick and easy vegan meal.  If we used vegetable oil instead of butter or ghee, we would meet the Orthodox guidelines for fasting.  We would find out how easy or difficult it would be to make a dish that we like so much, and decide if our $1.59 was well spent.  And, here is what we learned:

For this recipe, you will need the following:

1 onion, diced fine
2-3 TBSP oil
1 large can (24 ounces) chick peas
Chana Masala spice mix
some water

When you make this the first time, you may want to follow the directions on the package, then, make adjustments in the future.  We believe that each brand of this spice mix may have differences in the directions and the ingredients, so what we provide here is specific to the Shan Chana Masala spice mix.

Start by cutting the onion into a fine dice.  The onion pieces should not be bigger than the chick peas.  When we have had this dish in the restaurants, the onions sort of disappear into the sauce, so they should be rather small in order to cook away.  Once the onions are cut, you can start cooking them in the oil on a medium to medium high heat.  You want them to become soft with a little bit of browning.  This will take about 10 minutes, so start the onions cooking before the next step.

Now, drain and rinse the chick peas.  The canned peas are in a salty brine, and that needs to be rinsed rather well so not to interfere with the spices we will add.  It is true that some people will like this a little salty, and if that is true, don't rinse the peas as well.  We rinsed and drained the water to get the chick peas as bland as possible.  If you are using dried chick peas, boil them with 1 tsp baking soda in the water, until the peas are soft.  Then, drain and rinse the peas, and set them aside for a moment.

Now, it is time to season the dish!  Use approximately 2 Tablespoons of the chana masala spice mix.  Sprinkle the spice mix all around the onions and mix well.  Add a little more for a little more spicy dish, or add less mix for less spice.  Mix the onions well so they are all coated with the spices.

Now, add the chick peas to the pan with the onions.  Mix them well so the onions and chick peas are well coated in the spice mix.

Then, add water.  Add enough water to cover the tops of the chick peas.  This amount will vary depending on the size of your pan or pot, and the quantity of chick peas used.  The water should scantly cover the peas.

Allow this to cook on medium to medium low heat to simmer for 40 minutes.  As it simmers, you will notice the sauce thickens.  This is what you want!  Some of the onions will disappear (dissolve) in the sauce, but you will still see many of the onions.  Canned chick peas are already cooked, so you will know the dish is done when the sauce is the thickness you want or the table is set and it is ready to serve then.  We thought he 40 minutes seemed very long for already cooked peas, but it was necessary to get the consistency in the sauce.  If you want to speed up the process, add less water to the mix.  That way,  you are not waiting for the water to cook away.

Serve this over some basmati rice (or any rice you like) or with a pita bread (naan if you want to be more authentic).  And, enjoy!

Palm Sunday (2014) service, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - Oak Lawn, IL
Source of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZdY6i1pdBM