Fall

Tofu Chana Masala (tofu and chickpeas spicy stew)

by:
June 16, 2017
5
1 Ratings
Tofu Chana Masala (tofu and chickpeas spicy stew)
Photo by Silvia Merler
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Chana Masala is a spiced chickpea stew from Indian and Pakistani cuisine, which happens to be one of my favourites when it comes to Indian food (it's a really tough competition!). This is the chana masala that I currently do at home - no doubt much simpler than the original recipe, but still very tasty. I normally use chickpeas only, but I had some tofu leftover that I really needed to use so I added it in and the end result was actually quite good, so here's the variation on the classical theme! —Silvia Merler

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves of green garlic, minced (regular garlic works too)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted)
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 8 ounces firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups white rice, boiled
Directions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and cumin seeds. Cook for some minutes until the onions soften.
  2. Meanwhile mix the spices (coriander, turmeric, paprika, chili powder but not the garam masala) into a small bowl. Add to the pot and stir to incorporate to the onion and garlic mixture. Add the tomato paste and a little of oil (if the mixture looks too dry).
  3. Mix well, then add the diced tomato, chickpeas, salt and half a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 20 minute, until the sauce thickens.
  4. Meanwhile, drain and pat the tofu dry. Cut into it 1-inch squares. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and toast the tofu until golden. When the chickpea stew has reached the right consistency, stir in the garam masala, the lemon juice and the tofu. Let it cool slightly and serve with the boiled white rice.
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1 Review

Hello12345
Hello12345 December 12, 2019
Ok! So I needed a recipe because I bought tofu for the first time and had no clue what to do with it. This came up first and I had most of the ingredients but not all so I just made substitutions as I went along. I added whole ginger, ginger powder and more than triple the amount of fresh coriander. I used the whole can (6oz) of tomato paste by accident because I didn't properly read the recipe but i just added more seasoning, more lemon juice to counteract the bitterness and more water to the mixture and it worked out. I didn't have garam masala but I used curry powder and all spice. But we loved this! It came out so good. I didn't make it too spicy because the baby had some as well! I will DEFINITELY be making this again and I will try to find garam masala for next time.