Channa Masala (With capsicum and cream)

Today's post is a variation to the classic channa masala recipe. In contrast to the regular recipe, this is a very mild one. Adding capsicum and cream makes this creamy and smooth and thus very much suitable for a kids palate. Pack this for kids lunch with Jeera rice.

Mamidikaya Pappu | Mango Dal | Mangai Paruppu

Channa Masala (With capsicum and cream)

Channa Masala (With capsicum and cream) - a twist to the classical recipe.

Prep Time: 10 Mins | Cook Time: 25 Mins | Total Time: 35 Mins | Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

1 Cup Chickpeas(both white and green), soaked overnight
2 Tbsp Butter
1 no Bay leaf
½" Cinnamon
½ tsp Cumin seeds
2 tablespoon Cream

Dry Masala

2 Tbsp Homemade Channa Masala powder (1)
1 tsp Red Chilli powder

For the Wet Masala

2 Cups diced Tomatoes
1 Cup thinly sliced Onions
2 cloves Garlic pods
2 Green chillies (if required)
¼ Cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 or 2 Medium sized capsicum with seeds, chopped (based on your pref)

Instructions
Prep Work

Pressure cook the chickpea with salt until it is tender, for 5-6 whistles. Do not drain the excess water, reserve it. (2)
In the meantime, blanch the tomatoes. In a saucepan add the tomatoes and fill it with water until they are immersed. Boil it until the skin starts peeling off. Carefully drain the hot water and peel off the skin. Keep it aside. (3)
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions and sauté until the onions become translucent, then add the garlic, capsicum and give a quick mix. Allow it to cool.
Blend the onion mixture, tomatoes and coriander leaves until smooth.

Preparation

Melt butter in a pan and once it melts, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin seeds and ground onion-tomato paste and sauté them.
Keep sautéing until the oil separates and oozes on the sides of the mixture or the mixture comes clean off the pan. (4)
Now add the channa masala, red chilli powder, cooked chickpeas and salt. Mix it well. Add water / cooked chickpea water and mix it well. Allow it to come to a boil. Add the cream and garnish it with coriander leaves. Check for seasoning and turn off.
If you feel the consistency is thick add some more water and dilute it a little before turning off the stove.

Notes

Instead of channa masala mix, you can use ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
It is okay if the chickpeas gets a tad overcooked but should not be smashed and mushy. You can also add a tea bag while cooking the chickpeas. This gives it a dark brownish colour as you find it in restaurants.
You can skip the blanching process and directly purée the fresh tomatoes. As I said above, this is my way of doing it and I feel blanching has a better taste. This is optional. If you are puréeing it directly, never add water to tomatoes before it gets cooked. If you add water it might take longer time to cook. Sprinkle water if your mixture becomes very dry and if you think it might get burnt.
This does not mean you will find a pool of oil, just the amount of oil you used in the beginning will start to go to the sides. Also if you use a non stick pan and reduce the amount of butter / oil in cooking, you will not be able to see the oil separate. So just cook until the mixture comes clean off the pan while mixing it. Refer to this post for further detail.

This post is for Blogging Marathon 45 under the theme "Kids delight - Legumes and nuts for lunch box recipes". Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45 here.

Comments

Jayashree says
November 04, 2014 at 5:29 pm
Beautiful clicks.
Chef Mireille says
November 01, 2014 at 3:28 am
love the color contrast by using both the white and green chickpeas. wonderful protein rich dish
Pavani N says
October 22, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Love the twist with capsicum and cream.. Curry looks awesome and your clicks are great.
Harini-Jaya R says
October 21, 2014 at 11:28 pm
Awesome pictures for a lip smacking curry!
Srividhya says
October 20, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Great variation.. nice clicks
Varadas Kitchen says
October 20, 2014 at 12:58 pm
What a nice variation! The pictures look great too.
Srivalli says
October 20, 2014 at 9:37 am
Ah..I was little early in asking, here comes that beautiful gravy..your bowl looks awesome Nisha..
Priya Suresh says
October 20, 2014 at 5:05 am
Super like, channa masala looks absolutely rich and flavourful.. Love the addition of capsicum.
vaishali sabnani says
October 20, 2014 at 3:57 am
Wow beautifully presented and clicked. Channa Masala is tempting..and a nice rich one.

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