My Great Aunt’s Chana Masala in Hetty McKinnon’s Family Cookbook + Giveaway

photo by Luisa Brimble

I am so excited to share that my good friend Hetty McKinnon just came out with her 3rd beautiful cookbook Family which not only includes Hetty’s own recipes but family recipes from friends (including me!!). A recipe inspired by my Great Aunt’s Chana Masala appears in the book beautifully shot by award-winning food photographer Luisa Brimble.

I am a huge fan of Hetty’s work and was drawn to her instantly the first time we met. She exudes warmth and is literally a culinary wizard. She is also vegetarian like me and so I love that I can always find something to make in her cookbooks or on her blog. She invited a group of us over just last week to celebrate the launch with a most delicious lunch filled with recipes from the book. This book is a gem from Hetty’s gozleme, pillowy flatbread filled with delicious greens and halloumi to her cabbage and carrot vermicelli slaw with tofu and lemon-poppyseed dressing. I’m drooling just thinking about them!

Hetty and Luisa came by our place to share in a meal of chana masala, parathas and yogurt raita which is captured in Family. Alok was so young. I remember he fell asleep for most of the shoot in his stroller that everyone took turns to slowly rock. He got up just in time to make a cameo appearance.

I love my Great Aunt Kumud so much and am thankful for Hetty for including her recipe in the book. It is a Punjabi style of making chana masala with tea and warming spices. This is Kumud in her Delhi apt showing me how to make garam masala that is used in the recipe. I have adapted the recipe for a busy home cook with canned chickpeas. Sometimes, I cook the dry chickpeas in my Instant Pot and then flavor them using the below recipe.

I’m so happy to offer a giveaway of Hetty’s book Family and three of my achaars at Brooklyn Delhi, which any go wonderfully with this recipe. In order to enter to win, just leave a comment below or on the post on Instagram about your favorite family recipe.

photo by Luisa Brimble

My Great Aunt’s Chana Masala

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds cooked chickpeas (about 2 drained cans)
1 black teabag
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
pinch of asafetida
1 red onion – diced (leave some aside for sprinkling on curry later)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
1 Indian green chili or Serrano pepper, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato passata or puree
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon Indian chili powder or cayenne (or to taste)
salt to taste
handful of chopped cilantro, to serve
cooked rice or flatbread, to serve

Method
Strain the chickpeas and rinse with water.

In a large pot add the chickpeas, tea bag, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom pods and 6 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. (This is usually done with dried chickpeas, but after trying it with canned chickpeas, I liked how soft they got and how the liquid gently flavored the chickpeas.). I like to keep the cooking water so I can add some to the curry for more flavor.

In a large frying pan, heat ghee or oil under a medium high flame. Once hot, put in cumin seed and asafetida and shake up pan so they mingle. Once the cumin seed starts to brown, put in the onions and fry them until translucent. Stir in the ginger, garlic and chili and mix and fry for a few seconds. Next add in the tomato sauce and cook until it separates from the oil. Add in the coriander powder, amchoor, cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and salt and mix well. Cook for a few minutes. If it starts to get dry, add a few spoons of the water the chickpeas were boiled in.

Ladle the chickpeas into the pan using a slotted spoon, adding as much of the chickpea cooking water as you like to reach your desired consistency for the curry. Mix everything together and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with a sprinkling of garam masala, some raw chopped onion and cilantro, alongside rice or flatbread.