I have received three emails lately asking for my chana (garbanzo beans) masala recipe. Each time, I’ve responded by typing the ingredients and instructions from scratch. My family, like most families actually, doesn’t cook by recipe but by osmosis and eyeball. There’s a lot of “Yup, smells and feels right” and “That much mustard seed should do it for that many onions.” Each rewrite of the recipe, therefore, confirmed or denied my sense memory. Unsurprisingly, all recipes came out the same.
Here is my chana masala recipe in the form of two mind maps: the ingredients and the cooking instructions. Instead of taking linear notes any more, I now make mind maps because they are really a better fit with how we think, relate concepts, remember and make decisions. Click on the images to enlarge and print.
N.B. Never, ever buy Indian spices at your local grocery store. I assure you, there’s an Indian store nearby somewhere. Or an Indian neighbor who will loan you spices while informing how to procure said spices yourself. Also, the key to good Indian food is a low flame. Too much heat and a) dry/burned food and b) spices aren’t absorbed nearly as nicely.
Please leave comments with questions or any success/failure stories. I will help you out as much as possible. Enjoy!
Do you have a masala dabba (Indian spice box) in your kitchen? I saw one in a store recently and it looked pretty neat. As somebody who grew up with pretty bland food in the house I love the idea of having huge tins of spices and curries that you use all the time. A big open tin is a lot more lively than salt and pepper shakers.
They have a large number of Indian markets just up the road from me in Chicago on Devon Avenue. If you have any tips on what to look for in shops for somebody without too much experience in Indian groceries I’d love to hear them.
Hey, Joecubed! I have two masala dabbas – one for North Indian and another for South Indian spices. They are awesome and lively – don’t you just love the little spoon? (I was nerdy enough to make labels for all my little cups.)
When I lived in Illinois and Madison, it was a must to make the trek to Devon to load up on desi food and groceries. Devon is awesome and lively, too! For a North Indian masala dabba, the essentials are garam masala powder, chana masala powder, amchur powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, red chili powder and fenugreek.
Most of the time they carry little packets of pre-mixed spices, e.g. bisibelabath masala (South Indian) or Rajasthani curry (North Indian), that you can just mix into hot rice and vegetables and it’s ready to eat. You should always be able to get mirlitons and other gourds at any Indian store – get some and experiment with cooking them (ask an Aunty walking around the store or at the cash register how to cook it and she will tell you). Adds variety and texture to your meal.