Punjabi Channa Masala

Channa curry is a regular in my kitchen. On a cold winter night, there are very few recipes that are as comforting as the Channa Masala. It pairs well with both rice and rotis. To bring in the heat and get the authentic flavor, Serve with green chillies and chopped onions on the side. 

Ingredients :

White Channa - 1.5 cups ( Washed and soaked overnight ) - drained.

Onions - 2 large -  Sliced long and thin.
Tomatoes - 2 large - Sliced long
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 2
Cloves - 3-4
Peppercorns - 5-6
Cinnamon stick - 1 - about 2 inches in length
Green Cardamom - 4
Black Cardamom - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Channa Masala powder - 2 Tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 - Slit lengthwise
Coriander leaves - 6-7 stalks - washed and chopped.
Lemon - sliced - 1/2 of a lemon
Salt to taste.

How I made it :

1. Heat about 1.5 Tbsp oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions after reserving about half of an onion for later. Saute the onions till they turn soft. Add a bit of salt to fasten the process. 
2. Add the Ginger paste and garlic paste to the sauteed onions. Mix well and cook till the raw smell is gone.
3. Now, add the sliced tomatoes and saute well. You can cover and cook on low flame till the tomatoes turn mushy.
4. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
5. Once cool, transfer this to a blender and blend to a paste.
Keep aside.
6. Heat 1.5 Tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add the Bay leaves, Cloves, Cinnamon, Peppercorns, Green Cardamoms and Black Cardamoms. Adjust heat and make sure not to burn the spices.
7. Add the Cumin seeds and the slit green chillies. Saute.
8. Turn on the heat and add the reserved sliced onions and saute till the onions turn pink. Turn down the heat and cook on low for a couple of minutes.
9. To this, add the Channa Masala powder and saute well. Again, ensure heat is low and the masala does not burn.
10. Once the raw smell of the masala settles, turn up the heat, add the drained Channa and Salt.  Mix well for 3-4 minutes till the Channa is coated in the masala.
11. To this add the pureed Onion - tomato paste , that we had kept aside. Mix well. Allow it to cook for few minutes.
12. Add about 2 cups of water to this and pressure cook for 6-7 whistles till the Channa is cooked.
Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release.
13. Once done, open the cooker and smash few Channa with the back of the spoon. Check for curry consistency and adjust as per your preference. Cook longer if you want thick consistency or add warm water and bring it to boil if you want more gravy.
14. Add chopped Coriander leaves to the curry.
15. Serve hot with rotis or rice.  Squeeze half of the lemon over the curry just before serving.