Say Hello to My Little Friend

…the chickpea

So many of you have made the curried chickpeas I posted a few weeks ago (and so many times… yes, I’m talking to you, Jennifer!). I thought it might be nice to have an alternative up your sleeve. This one is just as fast + easy.

Dinner For One: Chana Masala with Spinach

Chana Masala, or spicy chickpeas, is a fairly common Indian dish and the addition of spinach is also pretty popular. The yogurt sauce really makes the dish, so be sure to include it – even if you have to use regular plain yogurt or sour cream.

How I made it:
Finely chop half an onion and two cloves of garlic, add them to a large sauté pan with 3TB of olive oil and cook until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper and one teaspoon each of cumin, ground coriander and garam masala to the pan and stir to coat the onions. Let cook one minute. Add 2TB lemon juice and a quarter cup of water and stir to combine. Add one can of drained chickpeas and let cook 5 minutes until chickpeas are hot and water has almost completely evaporated. Toss in two large handfuls of spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach has wilted. Serve over rice with a large dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with a handful of chopped cilantro.