Channa Masala in the Fagor Pressure Cooker Chickpeas

If you have a pressure cooker, it is really easy and convenient to make channa masala. The beauty of this recipe is you can use the pressure cooker for everything!

You can find my recipe for Channa Masala here.

Ingredients
1 cup chickpeas
1 tea bag
6 cups water
2 tablespoons, vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced (yellow onions preferred, white onions in a pinch)
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 green chilies, sliced (if you like it spicy, add more!)
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced coriander leaves
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
Shredded Ginger (for garnish)

Add 5 cups of water and 1 tea bag to the pressure cooker with 1cup uncooked, un-soaked chickpeas.  

Cover and lock lid (Don’t bring the tea to boil beforehand). Place pressure cooker on setting 1. Bring to pressure over high heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, bring pressure down to ambient pressure. Remove the lid, reserve 1 cup of the liquid and drain the rest of the chickpeas in a colander. Add a little oil to the pressure cooker.

Add onions and stir fry till golden. Add ginger and chilies, continue to stir fry until their aroma is released. Last, add the garlic and stir fry a few seconds until golden.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red pepper powder. Stir fry for 5-10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, reserved tea liquid and chickpeas.  

Cover and lock lid of the pressure cooker. Place on setting 1. Turn gas to high. Cook for 10 minutes on HIGH pressure.

After 10 minutes, bring pressure down to ambient pressure.

Channa Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Legumes are good for you. There are no two ways about it! This recipe for chickpea curry is healthy, delicious and economic! Legumes in general, chickpeas in particular, store extremely well for long periods of time, extremely high in protein, are relatively cheep, and if done right, absolutely delicious!

When I was growing up, we would have Channa Masala, or Chickpea Curry fairly regularly. I have to say, I wasn't a big fan. The flavor profile was good, but we would use canned chickpeas. They always tasted salted and mushy. I suppose because they were soaking in canned salted water for god knows how many weeks.

Canned Chickpeas are convenient, because you don't have to soak them, but you are really paying for that convenience. Dried chickpeas are one of the cheapest foods you can buy, and you can buy in bulk. As they store indefinitely, you just need a jar to store them in and you are golden. Personally, I just keep mine in a big ziplock bag.



For dried chickpeas, soak them in water for an hour or so. They will balloon up in size. Check this out:

The top chickpea is dried out, the bottom one has been soaking in water for an hour. Cool uh?

After you drain the water, you can keep soaked chickpeas in a fridge for a day or so.





This recipe calls for boiling the soaked chickpeas in tea for half and hour. You then reserve some of the tea (it has all the lovely flavor and nutrients of the chickpea) and add that back into the dish. I highly recommend you don't use loose tea leaves, just tea bags. It would be a pain to strain out all the individual tea leaves.


Ingredients
1 cup chickpeas
1 tea bag
6 cups water
2 tablespoons, vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced (yellow onions preferred, white onions in a pinch)
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 green chilies, sliced (if you like it spicy, add more!)
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced coriander leaves
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
Shredded Ginger (for garnish)



Wash and soak the chickpeas for 1 hour. Drain and discard the liquid. Add chickpeas, tea bag and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30-45 minutes until the chickpeas are tender. Scoop out 1 cup of the tea cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the chickpeas.













Add oil to wok and heat for a few seconds. Add the onion and stir fry until golden. Add ginger and chilies, and continue to stir fry. When their aroma is released, add the garlic last and stir fry for a few seconds.
















Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and red pepper and stirfry for 5-10 minutes.
















Add the chickpeas, reserved cooking liquid and salt. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add a pinch of Garam Masala or to taste.

Garnish with Garam Masala, coriander leaves and ginger shreds.

Best with Naan or Paratha!

Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Puree

I got this recipe from Vig's Indian Cuisine. Vig has a restaurant in Vancouver. Now, I have been to Vancouver. Why my friendly Canadian brothers and sisters didn't tell me about Vig's Restaurant until AFTER I returned stateside is a mystery to me!

This is a rich delightful dish that I usually eat with Chapatti or Naan. It goes great with most grilled or seared meats. I usually make this dish with Thai Chicken Satay. I spread this puree on a cooked piece of Naan and then lay the chicken (sans skewers) on top. You can also add some fresh lettuce and chutney sauce to finish it off.

Ingredients
1.5 lbs cauliflower, washed, drained of excess water and cut into 10 large chunks
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes (preferably yukon gold)
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Harissa
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped cilantro


Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a large roasting pan, combine cauliflower, potatoes, garam masala, salt, cayenne pepper and Harissa. Stir well with your fingers, making sure the cauliflower and potatoes are well covered in the spice mixture.

























Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower and potatoes are completely soft and almost mushy. Cool completely for 1 hour.

Transfer the cauliflower, potatoes and spice to a food processor. Make sure to get all the spices-don't leave any in the roasting pan. Add cream in small batches and puree until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with some cilantro.

Malu's Chicken Curry

My cousin Malu is the best cook! When I was staying with them in Japan, she made this delicious curry dish.
A few keys to this recipe: Be sure to marinate the chicken in just yogurt for a few hours. The best yogurt to use is homemade yogurt. My aunt makes homemade yogurt and it tastes completely different from your commercially made yogurt. If you don't have an aunt who makes her own yogurt, any commercially available homemade yogurt (is that an oxymoron?)  or thicker Greek yogurt (I use the brand Greek Gods) will do. So far, the absolute best yogurt that I have used (for this recipe or any recipe involving yogurt) has been St. Benoit Yogurt. The make traditional yogurt locally in Sonoma.

I have tried marinating  the chicken with the yogurt and the other spices, but it doesn't come out the same.
Also, be sure to use chicken thigh and drumsticks meat (as opposed to breast meat). The bones act as a collagen and give the dish a more hearty consistency. It goes without saying, the better chicken you use, the better the dish will turn out (my preference being towards an organic free range chicken, Marin Sun Farms or Prather Ranch)


Ingredients
Chicken thighs, with the bone (1.1 lbs)
Yogurt for marinade (see above)

Cumin Seeds, 1 teaspoon

1 large white onion, diced
Garlic, 1 tablespoon grated
Ginger, 1 tablespoon grated


Coriander Powder 2 teaspoons
Turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
1 Green Chili, diced
Chili Powder, 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala 2 or 3 pinches

1 Tomato, diced

Mint leaves (for Garnish)
Coriander Leaves (for Garnish)
Salt and pepper

1. Marinate chicken in 5 tablespoons of yogurt for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. I usually make this dish in a crockpot, so I will add the chicken and the yogurt directly into the crockpot bowl, and place it in the refrigerator.















2. Add a swig of oil to a wok. Once the oil is heated, add cumin seeds and stir fry until they start to pop or crackle and their aroma is released (1 or 2 minutes)
3. Add onion and brown.
4. Add garlic and ginger and brown.








5. Add coriander powder, turmeric and chili.
6. Once their aroma is released, add garam masala.
7.  Gently add the tomatoes







Continue to stir fry for 1 or 2 minutes on medium-low heat until all the ingredients and spices are mixed together.

After marinating the chicken in yogurt for at least an hour, transfer to a crock-pot or slow cooker. If you don't have a crockpot or a slowcooker, transfer to a saucepan. Be sure to transfer all the yogurt to the crockpot.









Cook on low heat for at least 1 hour, or longer until the chicken is cooked through.

Salt and pepper to taste. Add mint leaves and coriander leaves for garnish.

Serve with freshly cooked rice, lemon pickle and yogurt!

Turkey Kofta (meatballs)

I am a huge fan of the meatball. Delicious rounds of goodness in a sauce, what's not to love? Whether Italian or Indian, they are delicious! Kofta are the Indian version of meatballs, usually made with ground chicken a rich spicy gravy. Ground chicken more expensive and a little bit more difficult to find than ground turkey. Besides, Whole Foods had a sale on ground turkey. They are delicious!

I combined several recipes for chicken Kofta to make this. The real inspiration though was definitely Vig's tomato masala, which I used to make mango and tomato curry. The rest of the recipe came from conversations with my sister and her mother in law about Chicken Kofta.






Ingredients

For the kofta  meatballs 　A

1.5 lbs chicken or turkey, minced

1 white onion, coarsely grated (use can give it 2 or 3 pulses in a food processor as well)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
1 green chili, seeds removed, finely chopped

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbs freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoon garlic paste

2 tablespoons roasted gram flour

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 black cardamom, crushed/powdered

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon fennel powder

1 teaspoon Salt and fresh pepper
1/4 teaspoon Grains of Paradise (optional)

Masala　　　　　　　　B

1/3 cup canola oil or ghee
1 Tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
30-40 curry leaves, fresh or frozen
4 large tomatoes, chopped with seeds

1 tsp tumeric
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt

For the Sauce  　　　　　C

3  tablespoon(s) clarified butter (ghee)

1  onion(s) grated

1  teaspoon(s) ginger paste

2  teaspoon(s) garlic paste

2  bay leaves

2  cloves

4  green cardamoms

1  teaspoon(s) black cumin seeds (shahjeera)

1  teaspoon(s) red chilli powder

½  teaspoon(s) turmeric powder

½  teaspoon(s) cinnamon powder

2  teaspoon(s) coriander powder

Thinning out ingredients 　　D

4  cups rick dark chicken stock

salt and sugar to taste

4  tablespoons fresh cream

Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure

Make the Chicken meatballs A

1.       Preheat oven to 390-400 F

2.       Combine ingredients in A. Mix with your hands until well combined. Using damp hands, roll mixture into 30 walnut sized balls. Place on a single tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Making the Masala  B

3.       Add a swig of oil to a wok and roll the wok around, coating the wok thinly and evenly with the oil. Heat the oil for 1 minute on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until the seeds begin to pop. Immediately add asafoeetida and curry leaves. Watch you head and hands, as some oil might splash on you. Give the mixture a stir. The curry leaves should shrivel up. Reduce heat to low. Add the tomatoes, tumeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir fry this for about 5 minutes.

4.       Remove from heat and transfer to food processor. Blend until smooth. Let it sit in the blender for the meantime.

Make the Sauce C

1.       Add oil to wok and heat.

2.       In a wok,  add C ingredients. Stir fry until aromatic and the onions are golden brown

3.       Add the completed cooked, blended Masala B

4.      

Thin the Sauce                                                                         

1.       Add D ingredients

Add Chicken meatballs A

1.       Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, until chicken cooks through and flavor absorbed

2.       Stir in the cream at the very last minute. Garnish with fresh coriander

Saag Paneer

This is a classic North Indian dish of spinach and paneer.
I got this recipe from discussions with my sister and her mother in law.

Ingredients
5 tablespoon oil, divided
1 14 oz block of paneer, cubed
3 whole cardamon pods (preferably black, but green will do in a pinch)
1/2 inch stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon chopped peeled ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 small onion, large dice
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour, farina di ceci, gram flour, or besan)
16-20 oz fresh spinach
2-4 oz fresh curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 roma tomatoes

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

1. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a cast iron skillet. When the oil is hot and shimmers, gently add the paneer in a single layer, making sure the hot oil doesn't splash you. It's best to only fry a few cubes at a time, around 5 or 6 in total. The oil will spatter because the paneer will be cold. Watch out and don't get burned!

I purchased a set of three splatter screens from Bath, Bed and Beyond. They work just fine and definitely much better than having hot oil spat on your skin!





Check regularly to see when the sides have browned. I find it most useful to do this with a pair of long cooking chopsticks. Flip when they have browned nicely. Once 2 sides are browned, move to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with some salt.

2. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to a wok. Swirl the wok around to coat with the oil. Add the cardamon and cinnamon and toast for a few seconds. Add ginger, garlic and cubed onions and saute until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add the chickpea flour and stir constantly. The flour will brown slightly and release a nutty aroma. Transfer to a small bowl and cool.






3. Add spinach, curry leaves and 1/4 cup water to the wok. Mix the spinach around to make sure it gets coated with the water. Cover and cook till the greens are wilted. Its a great deal of spinach, so I usually do this in batches. The spinach should cook down but still retain a vibrant green color. Remove from heat and let this cool slightly.






4. Add the onion-chickpea flour mixture to the blender and blend smoothly. I find that chopping up whole cinnamon sticks in my nice blender dulls the blade, and the cinnamon gets stuck on the blade. I suggest you use an electric spice grinder for the cinnamon and cardamon. After grinding the cinnamon and cardamon, add it to the onion-chickpea flour mixture. Blend until completely smooth (it should look like a paste).






5. Add the cooked greens. You do not want to puree the greens, so use your blender's pulse function. You want the spinach to be chopped up finely, but still retain some sense of texture. If you keep your blender on full, you will end up with spinach soup and it will ruin the texture for this meal!


















6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the cumin seeds and toast till their aroma is released, insuring that you do not overcook them (they should turn golden brownish).

Once they reach that state, add the turmeric. Add the sliced onions and stir fry for a few minutes.

Next, add tomatoes. Stir fry for a moment to incorporate them, then add the paneer cubes, chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.



















7. Add the cooked spinach, 1/2 cup of water and salt to taste. Gently stir for a few minutes ( making sure not to break up the paneer) to let the flavors combine and absorb.

Serve with rice, chapatti or naan. I also like it with Istu, a south Indian coconut and potato stew!

Baigan Bhartha (Spicy Roasted Eggplant)

This is a classic North Indian dish.

I prefer using Japanese or Chinese eggplants for this dish, rather than their American cousins. If you are using a larger variety of eggplant (such as an American eggplant), it may be necessary to halve or quarter them lengthwise first, before roasting, so they will cook evenly.

Ingredients
1 lbs eggplants
1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (I prefer Korean red pepper, used for preparing kimchi for this recipe, as the flakes are larger and offer more texture
.5 teaspoon Garam Masala
3 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
2 green chilis, deseeded and minced
1 teaspoon salt
2.5 teaspoon freshly minced coriander leaves.

1. Rub the eggplants with a little oil. roast under a hot grill or broiler in your over for several minutes on each side until the skin breaks and the eggplant is soft inside.









Peel the eggplant and discard the skin. To peel the eggplant, I usually take the back of a bread knife and run it down the length of the eggplant. They flesh should be soft and peel right off. I then usually repeat again to get more of the flesh off.  Slice and set aside.





Add a swig of vegetable oil to the wok and turn the wok around to coat it evenly. Stir fry the onion until lightly browned.

Add coriander, cumin, red pepper and Garam Masala and stir fry for 1 minute. 

Add tomatoes and continue to stir fry for a few minutes.











Gently stir in the cooked eggplant and garnish with fresh coriander. This goes well with fresh Naan or Chappati.




Enjoy!