TH and I like a thicker gravy for our curries and I use the usual suspects to get that consistency – cream, cashew-paste, coconut milk, or sometimes thickening agents like cornflour, rice flour, etc. I’ve stopped adding cream to my homemade curries now, except in this delicious paneer batter masala recipe, because then it tastes like what Indian restaurants serve you. Cashew nuts, on the other hand, don’t overpower your dishes and lend a lovely creaminess and thickness which allows you to add water to bring the dish to the consistency you prefer. I also love serving my vegetable pulao with some protein like dal or chana dishes to kick up the overall nutrition value. It really doesn’t take that much extra time and the overall meal feels quite indulgent without you having to slave over it in the kitchen for too long. One of my favourite capsicum recipes: Capsicum Zunka Recipe More chana recipes? Sure! Chana masala Chana pitlai Punjabi chole masala Kerala kadala curry
INGREDIENTS: 1.5 cups of canned chana or chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup of cubed capsicum 1/2 cup of sliced onions 1/2 tsp of minced garlic 1 tsp of coriander powder 1/2 tsp of cumin powder 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder 1 cup of tomato puree 12 of whole, raw cashew nuts 1/2 tsp of chilli powder A large pinch of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional 2 tbsp of oil Salt to taste INSTRUCTIONS: Step by step pictures to make chana capsicum curry: Soak cashew nuts in warm water for 15 mins. Grind to a smooth paste with water and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry sliced onions until golden brown. Add minced garlic and saute again for a minute. Add cubed capsicum. You can use any colours, I went with red and green this time. Saute for 2 mins or so. Add the masala powders next – turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin. Roast for a minute or so. Now add the pureed tomato and chickpeas. Top up with about 1 cup water and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 mins or so on a low flame. Add the cashew paste and mix well. You can add more water at this stage if the gravy is too thick. Bring to a boil and add kasuri methi (if using) or some grated coriander leaves. Don’t boil the curry too long after adding the cashew paste, just bring to a slow simmer. Mix well and you are all done. Taste and adjust salt levels if required. Creamy and delicious chana capsicum curry is now ready. Go ahead, dig in! Notes: – if using dried chickpeas (and not canned), soak 1 cup overnight and then simmer in boiling water until tender or pressure cook for 3-4 whistles (20 minutes) – use any capsicum colour of your choice or mix up two colours as I did – you can use 2 tbsp cream instead of cashew paste to thicken the gravy – you can use 1 cup thick coconut milk instead of cashew paste as well, adds a different flavour and dimension to the chickpeas capsicum curry – you can add ginger garlic paste instead of just garlic For chana capsicum curry in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Urdu, etc, please use the Google Translate button in the sidebar.
