Name: Chana Makhani (Indian Butter Chickpeas)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, measured separately and chilled; 1 onion, peeled and chopped fine; 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 4 teaspoons grated ginger; 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1½ cups water; ½ cup tomato paste; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, measured separately

Why This Recipe Works

Tender chickpeas blanketed in a creamy, spiced (not spicy!) tomato sauce—chana makhani is a cozy, comforting vegetarian dinner that kids and grown-ups alike will love. The sauce gets much of its flavor from garam masala. In Indian cooking, masala means “spice blend.” Many Indian home cooks have a masala dabba—a large container with smaller containers nested inside, each filled with a different spice. Cooks will mix and match the spices to flavor a wide variety of dishes. Some of these spice combinations are so common that they have their own names, such as garam masala, which means “warm spice blend.” Different regions, and even different families, have their own special combinations of garam masala spices, which often include black pepper, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon. Have kids smell the garam masala and then smell any of its component spices you have in your pantry. Do they notice any similarities in their aromas?

Before You Begin

Be sure to wear disposable gloves while prepping the serrano chile. Serve with basmati rice and/or warm naan.

Instructions

In large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of saucepan frequently with wooden spoon, until mixture is softened and onion begins to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add water, tomato paste, sugar, and salt and scrape up browned bits on bottom of saucepan. Whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner.

Stir in cream and let cool slightly. Tip saucepan to one side and use immersion blender to carefully process sauce until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, making sure to keep head of blender and blade completely submerged (ask an adult for help). (If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer sauce to blender jar [ask an adult for help]. Then, hold lid firmly in place with folded dish towel and process until smooth. Return sauce to saucepan.)

Add chickpeas to saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat (small bubbles should break often across surface of mixture). Cover saucepan with lid; reduce heat to low; and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Turn off heat. Use oven mitts to remove lid. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons chilled butter. Stir until well combined and butter is melted. Serve, sprinkling individual portions with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.