PREP TIME: 15 Mins

COOKING TIME: 25 Mins

Ingredients

Chick peas – 1 tin

Tea bag – 1

Bay leaf – 1

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon stick – 1

Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon

Ginger & garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Onion – 1 finely chopped

Tomato – 1 finely chopped

Turmeric powder – ¼ tea spoon

Chilli powder – 2 tea spoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Amchur/Mango powder – 1 tea spoon

Roasted cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Coriander – 1 small bunch finely chopped

Lemon – 1 wedge

Procedure

STEP 1: Pressure cook the chick peas with 1 tea bag. Leave it for 2 whistles. If you are using dry channa, soak it for 6 – 8 hours and then pressure cook.

STEP 2: In a pan, heat oil. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, Ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute and then add chopped onion.

STEP 3: Once the onion turns golden brown add turmeric powder and mix well.

STEP 4: Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes blend with the ginger, garlic and onion.

STEP 5: Now add all the dry powders one after the other and mix well. If the gravy is too thick add some water. You can use the excess water that you have from the cooked chick peas. As this water has the tea extract it gives a very nice taste to the channa masala.

STEP 6: Take a handful of chick peas crush it and add it to the gravy. This helps in thickening the gravy.

STEP 7: Once the oil starts separating from the onion tomato gravy add the cooked channa and the required salt. Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 8: Heat oil in small pan add cumin seeds and sliced green chilli and pour over the channa gravy.

STEP 9: Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle chopped coriander and some thinly sliced onion. Serve with a lemon wedge so you can squeeze the lemon juice just before eating.

TIP: Channa and Batura is the best combination but it can also be served with roti, naan, white rice and poori.