Chana Masala

Chana Masala? ummmm what's that? Ricardo was not too excited when I said I was making this for dinner but he said he was willing to give it a try...guess what? He loved it and ate the leftovers the next day. This is really filling so you don't need to double the recipe unless you are cooking for a bigger group.

I found this recipe "idea" at: www.vegweb.com But I changed some things, so this in my version:

Chana Masala
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Sriracha(found in the Asian section of the grocery store, it's a red sauce, mine has a green lid) ***Note***if you don't want it too spicy reduce the amount!
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I used ketchup, it's what I had!)
15 oz can chick peas, drained, reserving 3 tablespoon liquid
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper
crushed red pepper, optional (I didn't use)
1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine

Directions:

Heat oil on medium high heat. Fry onions until slightly browned. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, Sriracha, and paste. Stir and simmer about 2 minutes. Add chick peas, liquid, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red pepper to taste. Add margarine, stirring through to melt it. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes more or until peas are softened and dish is hot. Serve over rice.

Makes: 2-4 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes