Chana Saag

If I had a dime for every time I’ve ordered delivery from Bombay Grill down the street… then I’d still be out $17.90 like every week. I just love Indian food. Specifically, I love me some Chana Saag, the chickpea spinach curry. It’s my go-to. So, this week, I try my hand at making my own, adapting this recipe. And I try with all my might not to order delivery. Care to wager a bet?

1 can of chickpeas

4 cups fresh spinach

1 medium tomato

1 small onion

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp grated ginger

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp mango powder amchoor

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

1.) Drain chickpeas into a freezer bag, saving the magical chickpea brine (aquafaba) for another use. Rinse chickpeas in a strainer and set aside. Roughly chop tomato and set aside.

2.) Measure out turmeric, chili powder and cumin and combine in a tiny bowl.

3.) Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. As it warms up, peel and finely chop the onion. Add chopped onions to pan when hot. Sauté the onions for ten minutes with a pinch of salt.

4.) Meanwhile, grate ginger and chop garlic. When the onion starts to brown, add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for another five minutes until the onions turn a deeper brown.

5.) Add the measured spices (turmeric, chili powder and cumin powders) and stir, adding a bit of water if mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

6.) Add tomato to pan, stirring for a couple of minutes until it disintegrates. When it does, add half a cup of warm water. Lower the heat to medium and let cook for approximately 5 minutes.

7.) Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and set aside.

8.) In about five minutes, when you see oil oozing through the surface of the masala, stir spinach into the masala. Stir and then add the chickpeas.

9.) Let the chickpeas cook with the spices for five minutes. To finish, add salt to taste, sprinkle garam masala and amchoor powder all over and serve hot.

Oh I made a chutney, too. I’m going to talk about that in a different post.