Topic started by Jana (@ cs2416211-36.houston.rr.com) on Mon Nov 11 18:30:48 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

There is a restaurant by me that serves a wonderful dish it lists as "channa masala punjabi." It is channa and aloo in a thick orange sauce. The channa masala I have had in other restaurants is nothing like it. It usually is reddish orange and has tomatoes or tomato sauce in it and tastes completely different.

Is there a difference between "channa masala" and "channa masala punjabi"? If so, does anyone know how to make the latter?

Responses:

• From: funcook (@ tor-58-26a-209197168142.3web.net) on: Mon Nov 11 20:18:56
  
  Hello Jana!
  Chana Masala!
  
  Known by the name "Chana Pindi" or Pind-di-Chole" in certain parts of North India and Pakistan/Sindh.
  
  I presume this restaurant is in Houston.
  Different restaurants would follow their own way of making this, depending on the Chef's resources.
  
  Chana Masala is more popular amongst the Punjabis/Sindhis, hence the name.
  
  Does not necessarily mean that Chana masala cannot and should not be made in any other region of India in their own ethnic way being given a different name.
  
  Here is how you do it.
  Soak white chana/chickpeas overnight in tepid water. Bring to a boil in a covered pot adding a little soda bicarbonate and simmer till well cooked and soft. Do not stir with a metal spoon. It will only delay the cooking time. Remove and cool. Be sure to evaporate as much water in the cooking process, so as not to discard the excess liquid by straining. Alternately pressure cook it till soft.
  Or you could use a good brand of canned chick peas, which I suspect the restaurant does.
  
  Ingredients for the sauce:
  for about 1 small can of canned chick peas
  finely chopped red onions - 2
  finely chopped tomatoes - 2 medium
  chopped ginger - 3/4 tsp
  crushed dark roasted cumin seeds or just plain cumin powder
  crushed roasted black pepper corns
  chana masala powder - 2 tsp
  coriander powder
  paprika
  red chilli powder
  pinch of garam masala powder
  chopped cilantro
  salt
  veg oil to cook the sauce
  
  Heat oil in a saute or sauce pan. When hot, add chopped onions and cook till onions are evenly golden brown. Add chopped ginger and stir fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes, stir and cook till tomatoes are well blended with the onions. Add all powdered and crushed spices
  Cook till spices are blended in the sauce. At this point the sauce is in a semi solid form with visible onions and tomatoes. Add a little hot water or the drained water from the cooked chick peas to moisten and homogenize the sauce. Do not use the canned chick peas water.
  Cook till sauce acquires a flowing consistency. Cook further till water evaporates. Add salt and the cooked chana and saute till the chana absorbs the spices. Add more liquid or water, bring to a boil and simmer. Add chopped cilantro.
  If you need to add potatoes - peel and dice a small potato and parboil it. Add it with or after the chana has been added to the sauce.
  Do not expect this to be exactly the same as you have in the restaurant, because their prep is different and they probably use pre made sauces made with fried onion paste - which gives the homogeniety to the product.
  
  Although this is not the most authentic recipe for Chana masala - it is close to the Restarant variety.
  
  A real Chana Pindi is semi dry, devoid of water. It has enough of oil to give a glaze. Its made with
  cooked chick peas
  powdered dark roasted cumin seeds
  powdered red chillies or chilli powder
  chopped onion
  chopped tomatoes (optional)
  powdered or blended anardana (dried pomegranate seeds)
  crushed roasted black pepper corns
  chopped ginger
  oil
  
  garam masala powder and
  Chana masala powder may be used in this recipe sparingly.
  Alternately to make it more closer to authentic use: roast and powder a mix of cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg and mace. I would recomend the former as the spice powders are more commonly available.
  
  The Chana Masala in the restarants have a reddish orange color.
  Chana Pindi is dark brown in color. Some people immerse tea leaves wrapped in a small cheese cloth when cooking the chana to give it a blackish tinge. The leaves are then discarded.
  
  
  
• From: Jana (@ rrcs-sw-24-242-151-142.biz.rr.com) on: Tue Nov 12 14:12:07
  
  Thank you very much! I will try this! :)
  
  
• From: Hemant (@ 12-233-223-112.client.attbi.com) on: Wed Nov 13 13:40:07
  
  Hello Jana,
  I am posting a link to your quest as under.You may try that out and post the feedback.
  http://hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/curry/kabuli-chhole.html
  
  
  
• From: R. Pavithra (@ j134.dms41.jaring.my) on: Sat Dec 7 01:55:35
  
  Dear Mr. Funcook, could you please kindly tell me, what are the ingredients and the proportion to make chana masala powder. Thanks
  
  
• From: Arvind (@ dhcp065-024-190-114.columbus.rr.com) on: Sat Dec 7 04:23:18
  
  Dear List, and specifically Dear Hemant ji and Funcook: For Chana Masala (not Pindi Style)I have been trying to do most of the prparation / cooking in slow cooker. I add Chhole (Garbenzo) and varying ingrediants and start the slow cooker. I have miserably failed in producing even a marginally acceptable dish.
  Any suggestions? please. Thanks.
  
  
• From: funcook (@ tor-58-26b-209197169047.3web.net) on: Sat Dec 7 23:41:54
  
  Hello R Pavithra!
  
  Chana masala powder is bought of the shelf from the grocers. However this would be my version of the compound mix:
  
  cumin seeds - 100gms
  black cardamom - 10 gms
  yellow cardamom - 5 gms
  black peppercorns - 25 gms
  dried red chillies - 5 gms
  dried ginger/soonth - large pinch
  mace - 2- 3 nos
  grated nutmeg - 1/4 no
  cloves - 5 gms
  cinnamon - 5gms
  amchur powder - 5gms (optional)
  
  Roast cumin seeds till dark brown. Roast all other spices except nutmeg, ginger and amchur powder collectively in a warm oven till light brown. Pound to a fine powder.
  
  This mix does not in any way resemble the ready to use stuff
  
  
• From: funcook (@ tor-58-26b-209197169047.3web.net) on: Sat Dec 7 23:44:35
  
  Hello Arvind!
  
  Pardon me, but I am lost not knowing how you make/made it. Pls specify your recipe and the method.
  
  
• From: Hemant (@ 202.93.132.3) on: Sun Dec 8 00:46:30
  
  Hello Arvind,
  Yes, it is important to know the recipe/method , with which you prepared the Channa Masala .
  Please also include the quantities of ingredients you used in the feedback you send.
  
  
• From: Arvind (@ dhcp065-024-190-114.columbus.rr.com) on: Sun Dec 8 11:16:36
  
  Dear Hemant Ji and Dear Funcook:
  Thank you.
  In Punjab, Chhole ( incidently, also called Kabuli Chane. Usually, in Punjab, Chana alone means the smaller variety from which Besan is made. Terms are being used interchangeably out side of that region. Also be careful, substitute “e” with “a” and Chhola some times becomes an “XXX rated” term in Punjab)
  
  Traditionally, Choole is soaked over night, and then cooked for hours with almost the same ingredients as described by both of you. I prefer not to use canned Garbenzo ( when I have to, then I get best results from Goya brand available in US). Reasons are two –
  1 – When dry Chhole are soaked overnight, the
  same water is used for cooking them. It
  renders that unique flavor.
  2. – I discard the thick, high viscosity fluid in
  can – and seems, also discard nutrients with
  it. The canned fuid does not have that
  traditional flavor either.
  
  Traditional method of course is time consuming, plus with above background, I thought of cooking them in slow cooker from the start, rather than soaking them before hand.
  
  The ingredients for the least unsuccessful preparation were-
  2 cups Chhole
  7 cups Water
  1 medium Tomato, cut into small pieces.
  1 medium Onion, finely chopped
  2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
  1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon hot paprika
  ½ teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
  Ό teaspoon Baking Soda
  1 teaspoon Tamarind ( Imlee) paste
  ½ teaspoon Pomergranade ( Anardana) powder
  1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
  
  Add all above to Slow cooker, set on high, stir periodically, and cook for next 8 hours.
  
  When cooked, add –
  1 ½ tablespoon pre – packaged Chhole Masala available from Indian grocery stores.
  
  In end, I tempered it with Garam Masala tarka ( Bhagar), and garnish with Cilantro leaves.
  
  
• From: Arvind (@ dhcp065-024-190-114.columbus.rr.com) on: Sun Dec 8 12:00:04
  
  Jana:
  I am sorry, I just realised that I have hijacked your topic thread by introducing an entirely different question.
  Depending upon response, I should start new topic.
  I would do that.
  
  Arvind.
  
  
• From: funcook (@ tor-58-17a-209197160023.3web.net) on: Sat Jan 18 23:09:50
  
  Hello Arvind,
  
  Took quite an effort to analyse your recipe. Not that I was lost pondering on whether to use an "e" or an "a".
  
  You have not narrated how the recipe turned out to be, my guess is the chickpeas may not have been cooked well, with a watery sauce as in a stew. Chickpeas need to be soaked in tepid water overnight before it can be cooked any further.
  
  Also acidic products like tomatoes and anardana may actually hinder in the cooking of chickpeas. Salt is recommended to be added after the chickpeas are cooked soft.
  
  Am no expert in Crockpot cooking, but this recipe may probably never give you the right Chana masala
  
  
• From: Sameer (@ d142-59-66-143.abhsia.telus.net) on: Sun Mar 7 23:02:06
  
  thank u all for helpin me cook channa massala.
  
  U guys rock!!
  
  
• From: sakshi (@ 150.104.127.221) on: Mon Mar 8 17:23:51 EST 2004
  
  hi
  could you post the recipe of chole masala.
  
  
• From: anu (@ ) on: Wed Apr 7 18:19:41
  
  are you blind sakshi?
  
  

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