Aloo Channa Masala(Potato chickpeas curry)

Aloo channa masala is always a hit in my house because potatoes and chickpeas goes well with each other.it is packed with complex carbohydrates and proteins and keeps you full for a longer time. Also whenever I run out of vegetables ,this dish comes handy.I generally make this gravy with black channa or chickpeas and this Aloo channa masala goes well with chappathi or Dosa. My hubby likes it with hot plain rice also.Kids will love it and moms too will love as it is packed with goodness for health.

I generally store all my lentils in the freezer so that they remain fresh and also there is no insect problem when it is stored in freezer. This also gives me an advantage of the reduced soaking time of all the lentils in general.for this curry I soaked the black chick peas for about 4 hours after taking it from the freezer and soaking it immediately in room temperature water .

Ingredients :

Black Chick peas/black channa -50 gms

Potatoes-3 medium sized no

Chopped onion-1 no

Chopped tomatoes-2 no

Garlic garlic paste-2 tsp(or date made from 7 pods of garlic and 1 1/2 inch of ginger

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder -1 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Jeera/cumin powder-1/2 tsp

Chole masala/garam masala-1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil-2 tbsp

Coriander leaves - to garnish 

To be grind to a fine paste:

Poppy seeds-1 tbsp

Grated coconut-3 tbsp

Saunf/fennel seeds-1/2 tsp(optional)

To temper:

Cloves-2 

Cinnamon-2 small sticks

Cardamom- 2

Procedure:

1.Pressure cook the potatoes and chickpeas till they are soft.

2.Soak the poppy seeds for a minimum of half an hour in hot water.

3.Heat oil in  a pan and add the tempering ingredients.after a minute add the finely chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent.

4.Add turmeric powder and salt to the onions and add the ginger garlic paste.

5.Once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste is gone add the chopped tomatoes,chilli powder,jeera powder and coriander powder .

6.After the tomatoes and powders are roasted well add the boiled potatoes and chickpeas along with the water in which it was boiled.

7.Let the mixture boil for another 5 mins and then add the ground poppy seed paste and chole masala (or garam masala).

8.After a minute of heating switch off the flame and garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chappathi or any Indian flat bread of your choice.

Tips:

*you can also use white chickpeas.

*Along with the coconut,poppy seeds you can also add few cashews for a richer taste.

*The Chickpeas should be cooked till they are very soft but not mashed.