Masala Chai
Serving Size: 10 oz or 2 teacups
Ingredients
1.25 cups almond milk
3/4 cup of filtered water
2 black tea bags or 2 tsp loose tea
1-2 tsp grated ginger or to taste
6 cardamom pods
4 cloves
8 black peppercorns (optional)
1-inch cinnamon stick
1/2-star anise (optional)
Sweetener of choice (honey/maple syrup/coconut sugar/monk fruit)
Method
- Soak 16 almonds for 2 hours and peel them
- Blend peeled almonds with 1.25 cup of water in a blender and set aside
- Lightly crush all the whole spices cardamom – star anise in a mortar and pestle or apply 2-3 pulses in a coffee grinder or place the spices on a parchment paper, fold in half and use a rolling pin to crush the spices manually
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add ¾ cup of filtered water, 2 black tea bags, and grated fresh ginger to the pan. Bring this mixture to a boil
- Add the crushed whole spices. Stir and boil for 30-40 seconds to infuse the flavours from the whole spices into the water
- Reduce the flame to very low and bring to a gentle simmer. Then add the almond milk and be sure to stir continuously for 3 mins as the Chai simmers. The almond milk does not need to come to a boil. It just needs to be heated through, as overheating could result in separation
- Switch off the heat and let the Chai sit for another minute and then strain through a small strainer or a cheesecloth
- Add 1-2 tsp of sweetener of choice before serving. If the Chai tastes bitter, add more sweetener
Note: If you are short on time - Skip the soaking, make the almond milk, and then strain through a cheesecloth to remove the almond pulp. The colour of your chai will be a little darker using this method, but still quite delicious!
Chana Masala
Serving Size: 6
Ingredients
1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight and rinsed (or two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas)
2 black tea bags
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 black cardamoms (optional)
3 bay leaves
10-12 cloves
2-inch cinnamon pieces
½ onion, finely chopped + ½ onion, cut into roundels
4 tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt or any other salt of choice
¼ - ½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp store-bought or Homemade Chana Masala Powder (Recipe provided)
1 tsp tamarind paste or 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-inch ginger, thinly julienned (matchstick shape)
1 tbsp Dry Kastoori Methi or fenugreek leaves (optional)
1 tsp coconut sugar, as needed
Method
Rinse, drain and cook the soaked dry chickpeas along with the black tea bags and baking soda in an Instant Pot by pressure cooking on high for 12 minutes, naturally releasing pressure for 10 minutes and then venting the remaining pressure before opening the lid.
Or, on the stove by adding them to a large pot, covering the beans with several inches of water and bringing everything to a boil, and then reducing the heat and simmer until they are medium-soft, 1.5 - 2 hrs. When simmering, leave the lid slightly ajar to allow some steam to escape while cooking.
Alternatively: If using canned chickpeas, boil water and make your black tea (no baking soda needed). Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and let them sit covered in the black tea liquid for 15 minutes – This will help the chickpeas absorb the dark colour and flavour from the black tea. Strain the cooked chickpeas and retain the liquid in a separate bowl
- Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a deep pot on medium-high heat and add cardamom, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon pieces, sauté for 30 seconds
- Add finely chopped onions and sauté for 3-5 mins until they are golden brown
- Add tomato puree and salt, cook covered for 10 mins to infuse the tart flavour of the tomatoes in the dish
- Add red chilli, turmeric and Chana masala powder and toss, cook covered for 5 mins
- Add strained chickpeas and toss for 2 mins to coat with the Masala
- Add 2 cups of chickpea water from step 2 and mix to coat and slowly add more chickpea water while being cautious about not making it too watery
- Mash a few chickpeas with a potato masher or with the back of your mixing spoon to thicken the gravy
- Mix, cover and cook for 5 mins on medium flame
- Add the tamarind paste, stir, cover, and cook again for 5 mins on low flame
- Taste the curry and add coconut sugar if it tastes too tangy
- Switch off the flame and mix in the red onion roundels, julienned ginger, and crushed Dry Kastoori Methi. Let the curry sit covered for 2 minutes before serving over basmati rice with a side of sliced cucumber
Note: Add more of the leftover liquid from the boiled chickpeas to the curry for a thinner consistency, more salt for more overall flavour, and/or squeeze in some more fresh lemon juice for more tang.
Homemade Chana Masala Powder
Ingredients
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod
2 green cardamom pods
1.5-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
½ tsp carom seeds
½ tbsp black peppercorns
3 medium cassia leaves (or bay leaves), broken into pieces
5 whole dried red chilis, broken into pieces
½ tbsp Kastoori methi/fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp dried mango powder
½ tbsp ground ginger
½ tbsp black salt (optional)
Method
- In a shallow pan, dry roast the spices
cumin – fenugreek leaves over medium heat - Stay close by and shake the pan every 15-20 seconds to prevent the spices from burning. They should be just toasted and aromatic. After about 4 minutes of roasting, transfer the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool for 15 minutes
- Once the mixture has cooled, transfer it to a spice/coffee grinder or a powerful blender. Add the mango powder, ground ginger and the black salt, and process to a fine powder
- Sift after grinding to get a finer powder and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months
Jeera and Turmeric Basmati Rice
Ingredients
3.5 cups of filtered water
2 cups Indian Basmati rice, soaked for 30- minutes and rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear
1 tsp turmeric powder
A drizzle of olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Method
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan
- Stir in all the ingredients and lower the flame to bring the water to a gentle simmer
- Cover and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed (15-17 minutes)
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for a few minutes
- Fluff the rice up using a fork
Note: If using a rice cooker or an Instant pot, toss all the ingredients in and let the rice cooker do all the work for you. Remember to let the rice rest for a few minutes and fluff it up using a fork before serving.