Channa Gobi Masala

Indian food has a special place in my home, as in, our favorite thing to eat. My graduate studies were in Hinduism and Islam (yes, I also have a great hummus recipe), but I now primarily use what I learned as a student while in the kitchens of my international friends and their parents. I have been debating whether to post Indian and Middle Eastern recipes–couldn’t one find an Indian or Middle Eastern recipe website with better recipes? I have, however, learned from authentic sources and cooked some of these recipes for over a decade. I have also had trouble with some online recipes and have experimented quite a bit with ingredients, especially amounts. So here it goes, my rendition of Channa Masala, with Gobi which means “cauliflower.” I should add, this is me playing with ingredients, if you want a strict Channa or Channa Gobi Masala, go to an Indian cookbook, with the caveat that this one is the best I have ever had.

Ingredients:

6 cups of fully soaked chickpeas (use a slow cooker on low, drain water when plumped up completely and rinse)

6 Campari tomatoes quartered

1 head of cauliflower cut into mouth ready pieces

1 onion finely chopped

1 1/2 tbs fresh minced garlic

1 tbs fresh minced ginger (if you are really lazy/busy you can buy a garlic/ginger paste at an Indian grocery store but fresh is much better.)

1/4 cup of Canola oil

3 tsp course sea salt

2 tsp white sugar

4 tbs amchoor powder which is dried mango (easy to buy online from Amazon or elsewhere or from an Indian grocery if you are so lucky, I am already jealous).

1 tsp paprika

1 tbs Kashmiri Red Chili powder (this will make it rather hot, use less or none if you want it mild, which is how it is usually served at an Indian restaurant, you can use another red chili powder too but this one is so much fun if you like your food hot and bright)

1 tbs cumin powder

1/2 tbs coriander powder

1/4 cup of water

1 tbs garam masala

Get your ingredients ready first (spices in a bowl). Heat a large pot on medium. When hot add onion cook until golden and soft. Do not burn. Add garlic and ginger, stirring quickly for about a minute, then add spices stir for about 30 seconds, then add water, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is tender but not too soft.