Creamy Chana Masala

Longtime readers of this blog are familiar with my stories from Northern India, a trip I made when I was sixteen (you can read about how the trip inspired my Indian Carrot Pudding recipe, or this Slow Cooker Kashmiri Braised Lamb). This year (2018) is exactly a decade after that trip, but moments from that adventure are stamped vividly forever in my memory: stepping in cow dung on the overwhelming and noisy streets of New Delhi; playing on the shores of the Chandrabhaga River, snapping pictures of the rocks and sand as if there was something special about sand in India versus Colorado; eating dinner on the rooftop of a hotel in Udaipur on New Years Eve, lights glimmering against the river below; knocking on a small door in an alleyway, with a little sign next to it that said “cooking school;” and many more.

There is something about our brains at sixteen years old: they are pliable, receptive, and ready to learn. They are forming and reforming and reinforcing with every visual we take in. I was the perfect age for that trip. Open, ready, receiving. And my mind did just that. It formed connections that would never be broken, a passion for an older world, where roads are made of laid stone and brightly colored buildings are crammed together. A craving for chapati and mounds of spices and Chana Masala.

When we passed through that small door in the alley, a short woman ushered us into her home. She got out paper and a pen, and asked what we would like to learn to cook. She made notes, and suggestions, and then told us when to come back for our lesson. 

Boldly I remember the simplicity of her kitchen. People talk about having a “minimalist kitchen” these days, but this was on a whole different level. The walls, the floor, the shelves, the cooking surface (the counter, if it could be called that), were all made of the same grey-ish stone material, solid and a bit bleak. A window behind us, with no glass pane, looked down on the street. There just enough room for the four of us: the teacher, my dad, myself, and our teacher's little daughter who must’ve been no more than three or four years old. She sat perched on the cooking surface in the corner, making flat bread.

Chana Masala is one of the dishes we learned to make that day. It's simple, if you know what to do.

This recipe is a bit different from the one we learned to make in India. For one, the grocery stores here in the United States have nothing on the markets of India when it comes to finding curry blends. But also, I've added coconut milk to the mix, which makes it nice and creamy. Coconut and curry go together so well, I highly recommend giving it a spin. 

Either way, Chana Masala (which means “Spiced Chickpeas” in Hindi) is a one-pot wonder, and packs a boat load of flavor in. If you can make a stir fry, you can make Chana Masala! It’s also completely plant-based, so if that’s your thing, turn on the burner now!

Creamy Chana Masala

Published May 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
• 2 onions, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 serrano chili, minced
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Fresh cilantro for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet until it glistens. Add diced onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan, and sauté until onion is transparent. Add minced serrano chili, crushed tomatoes and water, and bring to a simmer.
2. Add cumin, salt, curry powder, coriander, and water to the pan, and stir. Then, add the chickpeas and coconut milk. Place lid on pan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until chickpeas are warmed through and coconut milk is melted in.
3. Finish by stirring in the lime juice and topping with cilantro. Serve hot over rice, cauliflower rice, etc.

Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Soggy, strangely sweet, and topped with bland tofu, my first experience with coconut rice was terrible. It was also my first experience with tofu, and that probably didn’t help. Being seven years old didn’t really lean in my favor, either. I remember picking at my bowl and barely eating, even though the rule in our family was “you eat this now or you go hungry.” 

I eventually learned to like tofu, but managed to steered clear of coconut rice for twenty years, traumatized by that experience. So, I’m not really sure what possessed me one day in February when I decided to make my own coconut rice. I shocked myself further when, halfway through the first bowl I thought, needs more coconut, and served myself seconds. 

It turns out, I love coconut rice. That first sample was far too long ago for me to remember what was wrong with it. But, now I find myself on quite the coconut rice kick — it’s the perfect side for Thai dishes. 

All you need is rice, water, coconut milk and a sprinkle of salt. I find that the salt is necessary because it keeps it savory rather than sweet. In other applications, maybe you would want to swing more sweet and in that case you could skip the salt.

Of course, cooking it in an Instant Pot is also key, which is the only way I cook rice because it’s fool proof and SO EASY. (I’m a home cook that tends to get distracted, or maybe just tried to juggle too many things at once. Cooking rice on the stove is a gamble: Will she burn it this time? But cooking rice in the Instant Pot is right on the mark every time, no matter how many other things I’m trying to do.)

Instant Pot Coconut Rice goes wonderfully with this Thai Basil Beef, or any stir fry, really.

Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Published April 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

   |     Print This Recipe

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups jasmine rice 
• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 pinches salt 
• 1/4 cup toasted coconut
• Minced cilantro or green onions for garnish

Directions:

1. Add rice, coconut milk, water, and salt to Instant Pot and set to Rice setting with the vent turned to the sealed position. Timer should be set for 12 minutes.
2. When timer goes off, open vent to release pressure. Serve hot topped with minced cilantro/green onions and/or toasted coconut.

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

With toasted slivered almonds, crunchy sugar snap peas, creamy avocado, and bright cucumber, this extraordinarily green slaw is everything you need and more when you're craving a plateful of veggies and something bright. 

It started as a simple thing -- a slaw to be served under some salmon burgers I've been working on. But then it spiraled out of control: as I drove home, I started to day dream about an everything-green slaw and what all could go into it. Next thing you know, I'm pulling off the thoroughfare and aiming for the closest grocery store to pick up a few things I don't have at home: green onions, limes, and a green bell pepper. 

With the color green as my muse, I headed home and immediately started slicing and dicing. The salmon burgers? I'm sure they were fine, but I don't quite remember. It was the slaw that got all of the attention. Dressed in a bright ginger-lime vinaigrette, it was refreshing and bold. Bits of toasted almond added a punch that was rather addicting, and avocado -- well, we all love avocado, don't we? 

Here's to the color green! It makes for one pretty slaw. 

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

Published April 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Slaw:
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut julienne
• 1 cucumber
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

For the Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on microplane

Directions:

1. Place thinly sliced cabbage and sliced bell pepper in large salad bowl.
2. Cut cucumber on a bias (here’s a video on how to do that), and add to bowl. Then, remove roots and dark green parts form green onions, slice green onions, and add to bowl. Add add optional jalapeño, cubed avocado, minced cilantro, and slivered almonds. Toss salad to combine ingredients.
3. In a small jar, combine lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, maple syrup, and grated ginger. Place lid on jar and shake until combined. Pour dressing over salad and toss until everything is coated. Serve.