Chana masal-aaah

It's raining for the 750th day in a row here in Olympia. And not the cozy, Texas thunderstorm kind of rain, but the drippy, cold misty rain that saps every ounce of energy and happiness from your bones. The worst part about this gloomy March day is that, technically, spring is here. Cherry blossoms have exploded, daffodils are everywhere. Heck, even some crocuses have peeked their way through the garbage that is my yard. All I want to do is run and play and sing. But all I physically can do is sprawl out and watch another Hulu'd Gossip Girl episode. And eat heaping bowls of comforting food. Food that I can put 10 minutes of effort into. Food that will taste so good that I won't mind that it's another asshole day out there. Enter Chana Masala.

This lovely dish is easy, fortifying and fast. No fresh veggies, no succulent bits of meat. But nothing processed either, and hey! It cost only, like, $2.50 to make.

That's the glory of Indian food. Stock up on some spices and curry pastes and an (almost) Curry Corner-worthy supper is all yours for a few pennies. I used dried chickpeas here. Soaking and simmering them in a little chicken broth reveals tastier beans. But let's be real, I'm in it for the savings. I think this recipe called for 40 cents worth. Boom! Plus an onion, garlic, a can o' tomatoes, fresh ginger and those exotic-sounding spices, and you have yourself a meal. (Cue Carl Weathers' soup bone/stew comment from Arrested Development).

Eat with basmati rice. I also sprung for some TJ's flat bread.
And get to an Indian market ASAP. If you're in the Olympia area, all this goodness can be procured at Curry Corner. You can also get henna hair dye there too. Just sayin'.

Chana masala (adopted from Deb over at Smitten Kitchen)
1 lb. dried chickpeas, rinsed
a few cups chicken broth (or salted water)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp. garam masala
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 cup water
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt to taste

Rehydrate the beans by letting them soak overnight in a bowl of water. Then, simmer them for a few hours in broth until tender. OR use canned chickpeas if you're pressed for time. In a large, lidded pot, saute onion and jalapeno with a glug of olive oil over medium high heat. After ten minutes or so, add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Stir in all the spices and let all that cook for a few minutes. Then, add chickpeas, tomatoes, paste and water. Let cook on low for 10 minutes or so. Squirt in the lemon juice. Add salt to taste (I used about a tbsp).