I’m on a bit of a homemade Indian food kick lately, and since I still have the spices handy from my Chicken Tikka Masala recipe (hubby’s fav), I decided to try MY fav, Chana Masala. This is a slightly spicy, tomato-based chickpea dish that’s wonderful served over rice or couscous. It’s fragrant, warm, simple, and perfect.

This dish has great protein and is accidentally vegan…which I love! It always feels like I’m getting away with something sneaky when a dish is already vegan. It’s also super healthy, and very affordable to make.

I’m definitely not an expert in Indian cuisine, but I really enjoy experimenting with the delicious warm spices and recreating my favorite Indian restaurant’s dishes in my own kitchen. You should give it a try too!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium green chile, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 servings cooked couscous or rice

Instructions
In a large and deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion and chile. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, ginger, and garlic. Saute for another 1-2 minutes or until the spices are aromatic. Add crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, sugar, and lemon juice and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook for at least 10 minutes. Add cilantro in the last 2 minutes of cooking and stir. Serve immediately over couscous or rice, topped with more cilantro. (We also ate ours with roasted zucchini.)

Serves 2 generously