Chana Masala

How to make it

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak them in plenty of cold water with the baking soda (see advance prep). The baking soda softens the skins, so the chickpeas cook evenly tender.
2. Drain off the soaking water and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a large pot with fresh cold water so it stands 5 cm above them. Add the tea bags, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, and bay leaves, and add the salt. Bring to a boil until the surface bubbles vigorously. ⏱ 10 min
3. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let the chickpeas simmer for 50-60 minutes, until they mash without resistance between two fingers and the cooking water is dark from the tea. ⏱ 50 min–1 h · passive
   Chef's tip Keep it at a lazy simmer with only occasional bubbles; a hard boil tears the skins off. Old chickpeas or hard water can need 20-30 minutes beyond the 60 — if they still feel chalky at the centre, give them time, not more heat.
4. Fish out the tea bags, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and bay leaves and discard them. Drain the chickpeas, but save 4 dl of the dark cooking water — it will thicken the sauce later and give the dish its deep color.
5. Rinse the basmati rice in a bowl of cold water, changing the water a few times, until it runs almost clear and is no longer milky.
6. Cover the rice with fresh cold water and let it soak for 20 minutes, until the grains are white all the way through — they absorb water now, which is why they turn out long and loose when cooked. ⏱ 20 min · passive
7. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Fry them for 1 minute, until they sizzle and smell nutty.
   Chef's tip The ghee should be hot enough that the first seeds sizzle on contact. They go one shade darker and smell like toasted bread; black seeds turn bitter, and that bitterness runs through the whole pot.
8. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is deep golden-brown and reduced. The long browning is what gives the sauce its sweetness and color, so don't turn up the heat to save time. ⏱ 10 min
   Chef's tip Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onion right away. It draws out the water, so the onion collapses and browns evenly instead of scorching at the edges while the middle is still raw.
9. Stir in the grated garlic, grated ginger, and split chilies. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, until the raw, sharp smell is gone and the mixture smells sweet.
10. Pour in the blended tomatoes and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook down for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the mixture pulls away from the bottom of the pot and the ghee separates out as clear beads along the edge. That's the sign the masala is done cooking. ⏱ 8 min–10 min
11. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, and Kashmiri chili powder. Cook the spices along with the mixture for 2 minutes, until they smell toasted and the color turns a darker red. Keep the heat low, as dry spices burn within seconds.
    Chef's tip If the pot goes so dry that the spices start to smoke, stir in a tablespoon of the chickpea cooking water. The moisture holds the temperature below the burning point while the spices still get the chance to finish toasting.
12. Fold the drained chickpeas into the masala along with the 4 dl of reserved cooking water and the salt for the masala. Bring to a boil until the pot bubbles evenly all the way round.
13. Let the chana simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and clings to the chickpeas instead of pooling around them. ⏱ 20 min · passive
14. While the chana simmers, drain the water from the rice. Put it in a pot with 6 dl fresh water and the salt for the rice. Bring to a boil until the surface bubbles.
15. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting, and let the rice steam for 12 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and small holes appear on the surface. ⏱ 10 min · passive
    Chef's tip Leave the lid alone for all 12 minutes; every peek lets out the steam that cooks the top layer, and those grains stay hard while the bottom overcooks. The small craters on the surface tell you the water is gone.
16. Take the rice pot off the heat and let it stand with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then gently loosen the grains with a fork, so they separate without breaking. ⏱ 5 min · passive
17. Mash a good handful of the chickpeas against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon and stir them back into the sauce. The chickpeas' own starch thickens the sauce and keeps it coarse and thick rather than smooth.
18. Stir in the garam masala and amchur, take the pot off the heat, and season to taste with salt. The amchur should give a distinct tangy edge through the spices.
    Chef's tip Garam masala's aroma is volatile and fades with boiling, which is why it goes in off the heat. Taste after the amchur — brands vary a lot in sourness, and it should read as a clear tang, not just general sharpness.
19. Give each guest a deep plate with a mound of the steamed rice on one side and the chana masala ladled alongside. Set out the red onion rings, lemon wedges, ginger strips, and roughly chopped cilantro on the table, each in its own small bowl. Everyone sprinkles red onion, ginger, and cilantro over their own portion and squeezes lemon over it just before the first bite. The acidity belongs to the dish and is added at the table.