Black Chana Masala

Chana masala ? Or spiced chickpeas ? Is one of the most well-known of traditional Indian dishes and a fave of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Some model of chana masala providing yellow chickpeas can be located at nearly any Indian restaurant in North America ? It's a dish that I almost constantly pattern while trying a new Indian eating place to gauge the great of the chef's spicing, and I've made many specific versions of it myself through the years.

In India, a chana masala is regularly made with black chickpeas rather than yellow chickpeas. Also called brown chickpeas or kala channa, these are a darkish-skinned cousin of the yellow chickpeas which are more generally used outside of India. They have a denser and chewier texture and stronger and earthier taste, and are nicely ideal to combos with different strong spices in thick and hearty curries, that is simply the thing one may need at this time of 12 months to heat and nourish the body.

This is a chana masala that makes use of black chickpeas with chilies, onion and ginger simmered in a spiced tomato sauce. Dried black chickpeas are without difficulty available in any Indian grocer or within the Indian phase of large supermarkets, however you can use yellow chickpeas in this recipe too if you wish to use them or can not locate the darker variety.

Other recipes providing black chickpeas to try from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Gujarati Black Chickpea Curry

Black and Yellow Chickpeas in a Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Black and Yellow Chickpeas with a Coconut-Chili Sauce

Black Chickpeas with Roasted Coconut and Fragrant Spices

Urad Dal with Coconut, Shallots and Cilantro

This easy, earthy, creamy and spicy curry dish is one that is reminiscent of dal makhani, a classic Punjabi preparation featuring whole urad beans — also known as black gram or black lentils — and red kidney beans cooked in an aromatically spiced tomato gravy and finished with plenty of cream. Unlike traditional versions of dal makhani, urad beans are the star by themselves in this dish, complemented with a finish of coconut cream and fresh lime juice, and garnished with crispy fried shallots, coconut flakes and fresh cilantro.

For those who prefer milder and earthier curries, this is one that you will want to remember and try. The coconut has a tempering effect on the hotter elements, though more chilies can be included if you want a bit more heat.

Other recipes featuring black gram to try from Lisa's Kitchen:

Dal Makhani (Black Gram and Kidney Bean Curry)

Classic Dal Makhani with a Vegan Twist

Urad Bean and Quinoa Kofta with Coconut Fenugreek Sauce

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, a monthly vegetarian event celebrating the goodness of legumes. Administered by me, and kindly hosted this month by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds, see her announcement here for details and to participate.

Chocolate-Covered Hemp Seed Protein Bars

Loaded with masses of protein from nut butters, tahini, strong hemp seeds and nuts, and sweetened handiest with dates, apricots and a wee little bit of maple syrup, those raw protein bars are not most effective accurate for you, but positively scrumptious too. They make for a first-class treat every time of yr, and are a good preference if you are in rush, however want something quick for breakfast, or each time you want a snack to gasoline the body and satisfy the urge for a candy treat. They maintain for at the least per week within the refrigerator, or even longer inside the freezer, and they're fancy sufficient to serve up for your excursion tables too.

The recipe can effortlessly be varied via the usage of just peanut butter or almond butter in preference to the mixture of the two, and you might don't forget including a different sort of seeds and nuts too. I selected hemp seeds because they have got a nuttier taste than sesame seeds, as a consequence complementing the marginally bitter taste of the tahini, and additionally due to their specially excessive protein profile ? Hemp seeds are a whole supply of protein due to the fact they comprise all nine essential amino acids, and simply 2 to three tablespoons of hemp seeds affords more or less 11 grams of protein. Consider this recipe as a template to in shape and satisfy your wishes and tastes.

Other protein delights to attempt from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Oat and Peanut Butter Energy Nibbles

Raw Nut and Seed Chocolate Chunk Mint Energy Balls

Black Bean Cocoa Fudge

Vegan Chocolate-Coconut Butter Fudge with Dried Cherries

Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies {Vegan}

Though I am extra of a savory woman, I do revel in candies from time to time, specifically during the wintry weather months. And once I desire some thing candy, I typically make something in my own kitchen, as I find treats purchased from bakeries or the grocery store much too sweet for my taste.

These mild cookies are very smooth to make up when you have a meals processor or excessive powered blender. All the components are pulsed collectively, shaped into rounds, after which baked for about 10 mins. And they're flourless and egg-free too, with the oil element coming only from the inclusion of peanut butter, so ideally suited to folks who opt for vegan friendly snacks.

These cookies have just the right amount of chocolate, so the chocolate does not overpower the nutty flavor of the cashews and almond meal. The coconut flavor is likewise as a substitute subdued, however in case you do not want to add coconut, add some sesame or hemp seeds as a substitute. The cookies are filling, filled with lots of protein, and basically guilt-free, sweetened with only a small quantity of honey, or maple syrup in case you choose, further to first-class dark chocolate.

More cookie recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen to strive:

Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Gluten-Free and Egg-Free

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

No-Bake Almond Butter Cookies

Quick and Easy Tahini Ginger Cookies

Vegetable Vindaloo

Goan in foundation, vindaloo is a hot and spicy education that normally capabilities meat marinated in wine or vinegar and garlic. Typically vindaloo dishes are warm and highly spiced too, with a nice tangy element from the use of vinegar, tamarind or lemon juice, and generally tomatoes as well. But vindaloo dishes want now not function meat, and here vegetables are the famous person of the dish. Any variety of mixed vegetables can be used, even though the ones I endorse upload great contrasts in texture and colour, and also make for a filling side.

I desired the vegetables to polish in this dish, but you can additionally upload lightly fried chunks of paneer cheese or chickpeas to this dish as well, adjusting the amount of vegetables used and increasing the spices, tomatoes and water accordingly to suit your possibilities. Ideally, the sauce must be pretty thick, but no longer too dry. I served the greens over a hot mattress of sparkling cooked white basmati rice, which enables temper a number of the heat. The variety of chilies and hot spices may also be adjusted consistent with how warm you want the dish. Chili fan that I am, the recipe here is instead on the recent side of the spectrum, however absolutely lessen or growth the dried chilies and other warm spices to suit your tastes. It is a warming dish, to say the least, and very comforting.

Other vindaloo dishes to attempt from Lisa's Kitchen:

Chickpea Vindaloo

Eggs Vindaloo

Audio accompaniment: J. S. Bach - BWV 131-four Meine Seele wartet

3-Ingredient No-Bake Tahini Fudge

Many bakers trust that making fudge may be a tribulation, regularly requiring a candy thermometer for actual precision to make certain that the candy isn't overcooked on the range top, and every now and then an extended wait within the oven too. It turns out that this isn't the case at all, depending at the technique you use. And raw fudge is just about the perfect treat to make, and at the same time as there's still ready time worried, in this instance it's miles simplest a chunk of endurance while the fudge sets inside the freezer. And this fudge has handiest 3 substances ? Nicely, four, if you include some crunchy peanut butter as I did ? And no special device is required either. Simply melt the coconut oil, stir the whole thing collectively in a small bowl, and switch the aggregate to a mini muffin tin to set.

Another gain to this recipe is it's not overly candy either, that is another disadvantage of extra traditional fudges. Sweetened best with maple syrup, the texture is creamy and it is sincerely sweet and tastes simply as delightful and decadent because the fudge you could have grown up eating. And despite the fact that the recipe does consist of coconut oil, the taste of coconut is slightly detectable, so in case you are one of these those who is not overly keen on coconut, do not permit that save you you from trying this brief and easy recipe.

Other no-bake fudge recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen to revel in:

Creamy Chickpea Flour Peanut Butter Maple Fudge

No-Bake Vegan Chocolate-Coconut Butter Fudge with Dried Cherries

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Cocoa Fudge

Cocoa Nut Butter No-Bake Fudge

Skillet-Fried Flatbread with Lentils and Fenugreek (Dal Methi Paratha)

Breads in specific shapes and forms can be observed as part of a meal in many cultures around the sector, from baguettes in France to ciabatta in Italy, biscuits within the United States, tortillas in Mexico, and teff flour injera in Ethiopia. In India, flatbreads are an especially indispensable part of meals, and these are made with a huge variety of strategies and elements ? Which includes cooked lentils or rice in addition to wheat, rice and bean flours ? And are frequently pro with the Indian herbs and spices for which the delicacies is so famous. From chapatis, rotis, dosas, naans, parathas and extra, Indian flatbreads deserve their places at the table and the eye of any prepare dinner who wants to make an genuine Indian meal.

Parathas are one of the most famous breads in India, and feature a light, flaky texture from layering the dough over numerous instances before frying in oil. A accurate paratha may be tough to discover in Indian eating places, but with a touch endurance for rolling and shaping, they may be clean to make at domestic. These parathas are a little more considerable than undeniable entire wheat parathas as cooked lentils are incorporated into the dough, and they may be pro with ginger, chilies and dried fenugreek leaves. Best of all, they may be much much less oily than the ones you'll commonly find at restaurants.

Other Indian flatbreads to revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Whole Wheat and Corn Paratha

Quick and Easy Rice Dosa

Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

Parathas Stuffed with Vegetables and Spices

Fenugreek Chapatis