I love East Indian food! Absolutely love it! It seems to be very vegan friendly and it’s always easy to find something when we’re eating out – or ordering in like we’ve been dealing with lately.

I love the blend if flavors and that they can be catered to different intensities depending on personal preference. My husband doesn’t care for overly spicy food, so when we eat Indian, he always goes with butter chicken – and I always go with chana masala. As this recipe is mild, he enjoyed it – but probably not as much as me.

The best part of this recipe is there’s lots of it which means leftovers! Also, most ingredients are likely already in your pantry! Though I didn’t have mustard seeds but I had celery seeds and it seemed to work fine! Additionally, it’s a super simple recipe to make – literally 3 steps! It probably took longer to make the rice than it did the actual recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp celery seeds (or mustard seeds)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1-inch cube ginger, minced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (156 ml) tomato paste
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 2 cans of chickpeas (approx 3 cups)
• Fresh cilantro (to top)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat then add the cumin seeds, celery seeds, coriander seeds and bay leaves. Let cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Next add the onion, ginger and garlic and mix together letting cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together, then lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with a side of rice and naan if desired.