-
Photo
Did I mention we didn’t go to bed until 6:30 am SUNDAY morning?
By the time I woke up at around 11:30 am (oh hello, bright, bright sun), I wasn’t sure if I wanted breakfast or dinner or a lobotomy.
I opted for chana masala.
One of the most fun things about cooking, for me, is trying to figure out a clever way to use the available ingredients in my kitchen. I knew we had cans of chickpeas. I knew we had lots of fresh ginger that I was dying to use. I knew I wanted something hearty and flavorful but not greasy or heavy (there had been plenty of that the night before).
When I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen’s website, I was so happy to see I already had most of the ingredients and could easily substitute the ones I didn’t. I used a jalapeno that had been sitting in the fridge, seeds and all (I am, admittedly, a spice freak), for the “1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced.” I used a 16 ounce jar of plain marinera sauce for “2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small.” I was afraid this would impart an “Italian” taste to the dish but you couldn’t detect that at all. I had no garam masala and wasn’t sure how to substitute it so I didn’t. And where the recipe called for “2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground,” I simply added 1 1/2 teaspoons of more ground cumin.
The final result was delicious. I accompanied the whole thing with some brown rice and green peas and without even meaning to, I had created my own national flag made out of food.
