Chana Masala for Poori

Poori with potato masaal is a usual combo. Poori with chana masala is a special combo and this awesome combo was served for breakfast in my marriage 🙂 To be honest, I never tasted this combo till then. But from that day, Poori with chana masala has become my personal favorite and I started to prefer this over potato masaal. Do try this simple and delicious chana masala recipe of my MIL. Make your special breakfast more special with this combo!

Chana Masala Recipe:

Chana Masala for Poori

 

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Ingredients

To Pressure cook:

• Chana/White Sundal - 1 cup
• Water - 2.5 cups

To grind:

• Coconut - ¼ cup
• Fennel/Sombu - ½ tsp
• Cashews - 5 whole
• Cooked chana - 10
• Water - ¼ cup

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon / Pattai - ½ stick
• Curry leaves - Few
• Onion - 1 big
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 2 small
• Coriander leaves - Few

Spices:

• Turmeric powder - ⅛ tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 to 2 tsp as per spice level
• Salt - As required

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How to make Chana Masala ?

1. Soak 1 cup chana for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
2. Wash well and add chana to pressure cooker. Add 2.5 cups water and pressure cook for 8 whistles. Let pressure release naturally.
3. In a pan add 1 tbsp groundnut or sesame oil.
4. Once hot add 1/2 of a cinnamon stick.
5. Then add curry leaves and chopped big onion. Add lil salt and saute.
6. Once onion starts to change color, add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste. Add lil salt and saute.
7. Once raw smell of ginger garlic leaves, add 2 small chopped tomatoes along with few chopped coriander leaves.
8. Add lil turmeric powder and saute well till tomato turns mushy.
9. Once oil starts to ooze out, add 2 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp chilli powder.
10. Give a quick stir and add cooked chana along with cooked water. Save 10 chana to grind with coconut.
11. Add required salt and cook closed in medium flame for 5 to 8 mins.
12. Grind 1/4 cup grated coconut with 1/2 tsp fennel seeds and 5 whole cashews in a mixie.
13. Add 1/4 cup water and grind to a paste(neither smooth nor very coarse).
14. Add saved 10 chana to the paste, give 3 pulses and switch off the mixie.
15. Once raw smell of masala leaves, add this coconut paste.
16. Rinse mixie jar with 1/4 cup water and add to the gravy.
17. Cook closed in medium flame for 5 mins.
18. Once it starts to boil well, simmer and cook closed for 10 mins or until oil separates.
19. Garnish with few more coriander leaves. Read tips below.

Tips for making Chana Masala:

• Use 2 small or 1 big tomato. Use ripened tomato.
• Increase or decrease chilli powder as per your spice level.
• Use 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for bright color.
• Cashews are optional but it gives a richness to the gravy.
• Do not add more than 10 chana to coconut paste as it will alter the consistency. At the same time, do not skip adding cooked chana to coconut paste as it gives you a good consistency.
• The gravy should be thick and not watery.