Channa masala (channay)

A wonderful Punjabi vegan dish with a fresh citrus note. Popular in northern India as well as in Pakistan. As usual I don't give precise spice measurements since it's a question of individual taste - I leave it to you how spicy you would like it to be ;) Don't let the long list of spices scare you off, it's really easy to make.

You'll need:
a can of chickpeas (200g)
a can of chopped tomatoes
one onion
2 cloves of garlic
3cm of ginger
cumin seeds
garam masala
turmeric
ground coriander seeds
pepper cayenne
one red chili (or dried crushed chili flakes)
sweet paprika
fresh coriander leaves
a splash of lemon juice
1/2 glass of water
black pepper
a pinch of salt

1. Finely chop the onion, ginger and garlic. 

2.Warm up oil on a deep frying pan. Once it's warmed up, start by frying the onion for a few minutes, then add garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and chili. Allow to fry for another minute or so, being careful not to burn the spices.

3. Add garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, pepper cayenne and paprika and stir.

4. Add canned tomatoes and water. Add some salt and black pepper for taste.

5. Rinse your chickpeas and add to the pan.

6. Allow to simmer for around 30 minutes.

7. At the end of the cooking, when the the sauce has reduced, add a bit of lemon juice. Serve with fresh coriander leaves.

Bon appétit!