Good morning interweb friends. I am going to be quick this morning as I don’t have a lot of time. We have a big “end of school / beginning of summer” slumber party tonight. My house will soon be over-run with young girls, and I have errands to run in preparation for tonight’s festivities. However, I didn’t want to leave you hanging without a fresh new recipe to try out this week.
My next great vegan recipe is an approximation of a dish we had in our favorite Indian restaurant not long ago. We brought the girls and asked for their best kid-friendly entree. We were served what they called Chana Puri. It was delicious. My ladies loved it, and asked me to make it at home. Forsaking my limited knowledge of Indian cooking, I promised to give it a try as I was so proud of their ever expanding pallets.
Now, from what I could gather, traditional Chana Puri is stewed chickpeas in a hearty tomato sauce served with fried bits of dough for dipping. Well, I wasn’t going to fry dough, and most of the called-for ingredients I could not find in my local grocery stores. But a promise is a promise, and after a bit of trial and error, (in my humble opinion) I came up with a dish that closely resembles the original.
So this week, I give you my version of CHANA PURI a try. Your family will love it. Serve it over some basmati rice, and you won’t even miss the fried dough bits. Now, I am off to pick up some last minute items for the slumber party tonight. Can’t keep my ladies waiting…
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 2 15oz. Cans of Chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Ginger (grated)
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1/4 Cup Onion (diced)
- 2 Tsp. Dried Cumin
- 2 Tsp. Coriander
- 1/4 Tsp. Turmeric
- 1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder
- 1/2 Tsp. Garam Masala
- 1 Cup Tomato Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to your taste
- 2 Tbs. Fresh Cilantro (minced)
Instructions
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, onion, and 1/2 cup of water and simmer the veggies for 3-5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Next add in the ginger, chickpeas, remaining water, and wine. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until the chickpeas begin to soften and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Next add in the remaining spices and tomato sauce. Season to your taste with salt and pepper. Bring the dish back to a boil, reduce the heat, loosely cover with a lid, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Finish the dish with the fresh cilantro and serve over steamed rice.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/chana-puri/That is all there is to it folks. A simple Indian recipe guaranteed to please the whole family. Enjoy, and I will be in touch next week. Gotta run as there is a knock at my door… I think the girls have arrived. The slumber party is about to start. Hopefully, we will get some sleep tonight. Pray for us. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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