Indian food is one of favourites but I often find it difficult to gather all the elaborate spices in local stores. This dish is a chickpea masala (called so because of the spice 'Garam Masala' that is used is such dishes) that I simplified to accomodate a smaller collection of spices :)
Ingredients (3 servings):
Chana Masala:
1 Chilli
4 Garlic cloves
15g Ginger (fresh)
2 tbsp Garam Masala
2 tsp ground Cumin
2 tsp ground Tumeric
2 tbsp Ghee (alternative: Vegetable Oil)
2 Onions
2 cans of Chickpeas (800g, drained)
2 cans chopped Tomatoes (800g)
100ml Coconut Milk
Fried Potatoes:
1kg Potatoes (firm-cooking)
3-4 tbsp Vegetable Oil (i.e. Sunflower)
2 tsp Cumin Seed
3/4 tsp ground Tumeric
3/4 tsp ground Coriander Seeds
Raita:
3-4 tbsp Yoghurt
3 fresh Mint twigs
Radishes or Cucumber
Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
Start by washing the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes until soft. While the potatoes cook, prepare the paste for the Masala: Combine the chilli, garlic, ginger, Garam Masala, tumeric, and cumin in a food processor and blend until the ingredients become a smooth paste.
Peel and dice the onion, and heat up the ghee in a large pan. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes on medium heat, then stir in the Masala paste. Add the chopped tomatoes and let simmer until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick paste. Add in the chickpeas and the coconut milk, and let it simmer on medium-low heat while stirring occasionally.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel them with a small knife (the skin should come off very easily) and cut them into smaller squares. In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil and the two teaspoons of cumin seeds on medium-high heat, until these sizzle and smell aromatically. Add the potatoes to the pan and give them a good stir, so that they're all covered in oil. Add the tumeric and coriander seeds on top, stir well and then leave the potatoes to turn nice and golden. Give them a flip every 5-7 minutes.
For the Raita, chop up some radishes, cucumber, and mint, and mix in with the yoghurt and salt & pepper to taste.
Assemble the masala and potatoes in a bowl and add a generous spoon of Raita on top. If you're feeling decorative, add some left over chopped up mint on top and enjoy :D
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