China masala is one of the most popular Indian dishes in international cuisine. Its main ingredient is chickpeas, but it includes a wide variety of spices and vegetables that will give you a lot of pleasure. This vegan recipe is very easy to make and will be perfect as a starter or a light main course.
Originally from northern India, you can find china masala in any Indian restaurant, but this time we encourage you to get out of the culinary routine and prepare it in your kitchen. Read on and find out how to make china masala easily!
Ingredients to make China masala:
- 400 grams of cooked chickpeas
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 piece of fresh ginger
- 170 grams of tomato concentrate
- 1 dessert spoon of gram masala
- 4 pieces of cardamom seed
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 fresh chili
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
- 500 milliliters of water
- 1 splash of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt and black pepper to the point
- 1 dessert spoon of turmeric
How to make china masala:
1 Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger and half a chili. Crush the cardamom seeds and, finally, chop the fresh coriander into not too fine pieces.
2 Sauté all this in a deep frying pan or wok with a splash of olive oil. Stir and, when approximately three minutes have passed, you will see that the sauce is acquiring a golden color and a pleasant and tempting aroma. And you’re just getting started!
3 Add the concentrated tomato. Stir another 3 minutes and add the spices, gram masala, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Add a glass of water and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat to thicken. You can cover the pan so that it is done without splashing. If you don’t have gram masala, you can make your own by following the steps in the link.
Tip: Gram masala is a mix of spices widely used in India.
4 After 10 minutes, stir again and add the chickpeas so that all the ingredients are integrated and form a delicious sauce.
5 Add the rest of the water, mix and cover. Let it cook for another 15 minutes, but remember to stir from time to time so it doesn’t stick.
6 Once ready, you can serve the china masala in the same cooking container so that diners can serve themselves as they wish. You will have an explosion of colors and smells that will activate all 5 senses!
China masala or Chloe masala
China masala or choler masala is a great dish for vegetarian and vegan diets. In general, Indian cuisine usually includes a wide variety of options without products of animal origin, with a lot of flavor, nutrients and variety in its ingredients.
While it is true that their food is usually some of the spiciest and hottest in the world, you can adjust the spices in this recipe to suit your palate.
When serving, we suggest you sprinkle a little chopped coriander or accompany this delicious dish with chapatti bread or jasmine rice. It will be very good!
