Chana Masala

Name: Chana Masala
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp. coriander seeds; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped; 1 tsp. garam masala; ¼ tsp. ground turmeric; Pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes; 1 medium tomato, peeled, chopped; 2 14.5-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed; 1 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper; 1 tsp. cornstarch; 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; Chopped cilantro and rice and/or flatbread (for serving); A spice mill or mortar and pestle

By Yasmin Khan

May 11, 2021

Image may contain Plant Food Dish Meal and Produce

Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

When cookbook author Yasmin Khan was growing up, this was a regular midweek dinner that her Pakistani dad would cook. So when researching recipes for her book, Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, she says it was a delight to find the dish at Nan restaurant on the Greek island of Lesbos, and to hear that the recipe came from a Pakistani refugee cook who had worked there. For the ultimate comfort dish, the chickpeas should become so soft that they simply melt in your mouth.

What you’ll need

Mortar and Pestle
$30 At Amazon
Large Saucepan
$75 At Amazon
Small Skillet
$25 $18 At Amazon
OXO Good Grips® Smooth Edge Can Opener
$25 At Amazon

Recipe notes

Baked Butter Paneer

I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.

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Gingery Pork Stuffed Tomatoes

We reimagined pork dumplings as a filling for juicy stuffed tomatoes.