With the hundreds of different spices and various regional cuisines, Indian cooking can seem intimidating. But I’m telling you that actually, it can be so simple, quick, and nutritious! And to prove it, this recipe uses only TEN INGREDIENTS and can be made in just about 15 minutes! And as always, it is JAIN and VEGAN! How is that for a quick, lazy weeknight dinner?
Even though Indian food traditionally does use quite a bit of dairy (ghee, yogurt, heavy cream), it’s so easy to recreate the richness of your favorite dishes in a more compassionate way, without using dairy! Here we’ll be using coconut cream (or coconut milk) to make it oooh so creamy!
Creamy Chana Masala
Vegan, Jain, Nut-free
Vegan, Jain, Paryushan-friendly, nut free, gluten free
Ingredients:
- 4 medium tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 150 ml coconut cream +1/4 cup water (or sub coconut milk)
- 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- Spices:
- 2 tbsp chana masala (I used this one)
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili (For less spicy, sub paprika)
- 1/2 tsp hing
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Temper:
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Optional garnish: sliced almonds, cilantro, lemon wedge
Directions:
- Temper: Heat oil on low-medium heat. Once warm, add cumin seeds until they start to sizzle.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Mix in your spices to the tomatoes and 1 tsp of salt. Let cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add chickpeas and coconut cream, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and hand handfuls of spinach to the top. Let wilt before stirring in.
- Finish off with some fresh cilantro, reserve some for garnish
- Serve hot with quinoa, rice, or naan!
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