Chana Masala
I love this vegan meal. It's so easy, fast, and delicious. My husband and I are not vegan but we both love it.
I love this vegan meal. It's so easy, fast, and delicious. My husband and I are not vegan but we both love it.
- Carbohydrate 119.103225306517 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.4176173479978 g
- Fiber 26.0403037062386 g
- Protein 25.5929106454413 g
- Saturated Fat 0.9000055336702 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (742g)
- Sodium 1290.39187191035 mg
- Sugar 93.0629216002785 g
- Trans Fat 1.36206075956898 g
- Calories 623 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
- Add the chickpeas, green beans, seasonings, tomatoes, lemon juice, and about 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. This should be moist and stew-like, but not soupy; add a small amount of additional water, if needed.
- Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve on its own in shallow bowls, or over hot cooked grains, if desired.
Substituting canned chickpeas with soaked dried legumes changes the cooking time from fifteen minutes to over an hour, requiring prior boiling until tender before they hit the skillet. Ground cumin and garam masala contain volatile essential oils that degrade quickly under high direct heat, so blooming them in olive oil releases fat-soluble flavor compounds efficiently. Green beans introduce a crisp snap and herbaceous note that contrasts the dense, starchy character of the legumes.
- Use a wide cast-iron skillet to maximize surface area for moisture evaporation, ensuring the stew achieves a thick consistency rather than boiling in excess liquid.
- Maintain a medium-low flame during the ten-minute simmer to prevent the crushed tomatoes from scorching on the pan bottom.
- Add fresh lemon juice at the end of cooking because heat destroys volatile citrus aromatics, dulling the bright acidity needed to balance heavy spices.
- Stir chopped cilantro in off the heat to preserve its vibrant green color and pungent essential oils.
Proper seasoning with salt draws out residual moisture from the diced tomatoes, binding the sauce into a cohesive coating for the chickpeas. Leftovers stored in an airtight glass container keep safely in the refrigerator for up to four days.
