Our Winter 2021/22 issue has gone to print. David and Stephen Flynn of The Happy Pear share this wonderful recipe, perfect for indulging on cold days! — dive on in for a sneak peek!
CHANA MASALA
WITH EASY GRAM FLOUR DOSA
by David and Stephen Flynn
Chana Masala With Easy Gram Flour Dosa
Chana masala is a delicious snack and street food from Northern India, and often comes with flatbreads. In our version, we serve it with a dosa, which is a beautiful light pancake: traditionally made by soaking and lightly fermenting rice, then blending it into a batter. We have taken the liberty of making a simple gram flour version of a dosa so it is quicker and easier to make and gluten free and just as tasty! Serves: 3-4 and Takes: 20 minutes
Ingredients: 2 x 400g tin chickpeas 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1 large or 2 small red onions, 2 large or 3 medium cloves garlic, 1/2 thumb size piece of ginger, 1.5 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 50g Fresh spinach, Small bunch fresh coriander (approx. 15g) Dosa: 4-6 pancakes. 100g Chickpea flour, 200ml oat milk or water, 1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt.
Method:
1. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic cloves. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks. Measure out your spices.
2. In a large flat non-stick pan, heat 1.5 tbsp of oil over a high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook for 3 minutes until they start to brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger, garlic and coriander stalks. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring so the garlic does not burn. Add all the spices, mix well and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer carefully to a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Add back into the pan, along with the drained chickpeas, and heat for 1-2 minutes.
5. To finish, add the spinach and mix through until it wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking by adding more salt, pepper, lime or chilli. 6 Add the fresh chopped coriander and set aside while you make your dosa.
To make your dosa:
1. Sieve the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add in the spice and mix. Make a well in the middle and add in the milk. Use a whisk and mix well, so there are no lumps.
2. Add 1/2 tsp of neutral tasting oil to a medium to large (30cm) non-stick pan and wipe lightly with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Put on a high heat.
3. When hot, reduce to a medium heat. Use a ladle or large serving spoon to add approx 60ml, or roughly a quarter of the batter, to the pan.
4. Using the base of the ladle, spread the batter quickly and lightly around the pan to nearly cover it and make a thin pancake. Cook for 2 minutes per side, using a spatula (we like to use a silicon one) to release and turn your pancake.
5. Repeat until you have four bigger or six smaller pancakes – you can keep warm in a preheated 100o oven if needed.
6. Heat up the Channa Masala, serve with the dosa and enjoy!
The Happy Pear are all about creating incredibly delicious plant based recipes using whole foods.
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