Chana Masala (Spicy Chickpeas) With Spinach

CandyTX's Note:

Got this from a friend. Chana masala with spinach is a variation of a traditional and popular Indian dish. If you don't have all the spices on hand, its ok to omit one of them without too much trouble, but don't omit more than two or you will have a completely different (and bland!) dish on your hands. For a heartier variation, toss in some tofu with the chickpeas and serve over rice.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas (in water or precooked,also called garbanzo beans)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice of (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or frying pan, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add chickpeas straight from the can, including all the water.
3. Add spices and lemon juice, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed, until chickpeas are browned and soft.
4. Reduce heat, add spinach and cover.
5. Allow spinach to wilt for 2-4 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Allison Landa]

This is a great base recipe. I added some ginger and an apple for some tartness and amped up the spices significantly, adding turmeric and a little dash of cinnamon as I didn't have any garam masala. Yum! Thanks for posting.

[Dr. Jenny]

I'm always looking for ease of prep in my weeknight dinner selection and this dish certainly delivered. I might chop the spinach next time. I doubled each of the spices and after tasting my final product would imagine it would have been too bland for me had I not. 1 tsp of each was definitely the right amount, along with salt and fresh pepper. I served over Texamati rice and overall liked this dish. Thanks!

[Charlee #2]

I thought this was pretty good. I have to admit, I was rather confused about a couple of things, though. First, I did not understand why you would add the liquid that is int he can of chickpeas. It is nothing more than water, salt & some additive to keep the color of the peas intact (chemicals!). I ALWAYS rinse away that liquid. I did add 1/2 cup of water as directed. this brings me to my 2nd issue. The directions say to cook the peas until they are slightly browned. How can you brown canned peas if they are in all that liquid??? This simply did not make sense to me. I did add quite a bit more garam masala as I thought the dish was a bit lacking. As someone else stated, it's a good base recipe, but definitely needs tweaking.