BONJOUR SERIES # 3 - CHANNA MASALA

I am happily running the third week of this series.. and I should say, it looks like a success.. :)) Today, Our Guest Blogger is Sangeetha from " Typical Indian Cooking " .. She runs this beautiful blog with all her passionate recipes.. and manages so well with two loving and naughty toddlers at home..

She is a very passionate and sweet person.. the reason I used the term "sweet" is because she relates so much to that term.. :) She has genuine approach and so truthful in all her actions.. I knew Sangee thro' blogging but sure doesn't feel like it.. we been like nice friends :))

When I called Sangee for this event, She had no second thoughts.. She agreed right away, and agreed to send the post asap and She did ! Thank you Darling ! U r the Best :))

Now, I present you Sangeetha - in her own words..

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Sangeetha's Guest Post

 

I am so excited to write this post for Jabeen's Bonjour event, as this is my first guest post and really more happy to share my signature recipe for Jabeen's readers and fellow bloggers. Like Jabeen said this is something more than a guest post not only the signature recipe, she wants some more things also to be shared here in this post. Here we go,

A bit about myself...

            I am a home maker and also love n proud to be so. I love any kind of handwork and I am skilled in cooking, fabric painting, drawing, finger tip rangoli etc. My cooking career started 11 years(college) back and still like to learn n experiment more. Though I live thousand miles away from my country I am a Typical Indian Woman..exactly like my Grand mom, use to wake early by 6-6.30am ...mostly start my day's work only after bathing...always I cook Typical (south) Indian recipes but also like other recipes from world cuisine...learning baking also.

My likes and dislikes...

          To me my likes n dislikes are same. I love any kind of sweets n chocolates. I use to finish1/4 kg halwa in one go...will finish 1Kg chocolate cake within 2 days.palkova, pedas, gulad jamun, rasamalai are my favorite sweets. Dairy milk chocolates are my fav chocolates...During my school days, daily I use to have mini bar I don’t miss even a day. But after my PCOS problem...Doctor advised not even to touch any sweets, chocolates, cakes, ice creams n any fat foods n I totally stopped eating all sweets n chocolates. And also I got gestational diabetes in both my pregnancies n I am type 2 diabetes risk patient. So Till now I won't even add sugar to my milk, very rarely will have sweets n cakes. Poor me :(

How did I came to know about jabeen's corner?

           Simply through my fellow blogger Prabha. The first post I read in her space was, POPeYes @ HKIA...I enjoyed reading her post and I was totally impressed by her style and presentation.Then left a comment along mine.. the next day She visited mine and again impressed me a lot with her sweet words n joined my site.. from that day till now she never forgets to leave a comment or praise me... I remember once, She visited me after a very long time and left comment for my last 8 posts in one day.. h sweet right..? Thats all so encouraging and also for the first time I got bunches of awards from her only... they are all booster tonic for me... now we became good friends beyond blogging.. thanks to this wonderful blogging world which had introduced so many good hearts to me..Coming to her recipes... re very light and healthy one..if u want yummy and healthy, low fat or oil free recipes n here is the right place isn't?? And till now I won't miss any of her post. Hope to see more n more from her :)

My signature Recipe...

Here I am going to share one of my signature recipes " Channa Masala" which I learnt from my neighbor aunty. This recipe is so special to me in so many ways. I was so confused to choose one best recipe of mine...so I thought to get suggestions from my hubby n mom. When I asked my hubby for my signature recipe, without taking time he replied "Chapathi n Channa" and mom also replied the same one.

I never go wrong with this recipe even when I made this in huge for our family gatherings...The taste remains the same n so good and decided to share for my guest post. Channa masala will be everyone's favorite and everyone have their own recipe. .Here's my unique style of making channa Masala...

Ingredients

1. Channa/Garbanzo beans       1 and 1/2 cup(cooked)
2. Onion      3 medium(white or yellow onions)
3. Tomato   4 medium
4. Chilli powder   1 tsp
5. Garam masala/Channa masala powder    2 tsp
6. Sugar    1/4 tsp
7. Tomato Ketchup   1 tbsp or less.
8. Fennel seeds   1/2 tsp
9. Cilantro   handful(finely chopped)
10. Oil     6-7 tbsp
11. Salt    to taste

Method

• Take about 2 tbsp of cooked channa and put in a blender n grind coarsely n keep aside.
• Grind onion separately to a smooth paste n keep aside
• Blend the tomatoes also to a fine paste n keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick kadai, add fennel seeds and allow to splutter and then add onion paste and saute in low-medium heat  till the raw smeel leaves.(app. 8-10 minutes)
• Then add the tomato paste and cook till oil starts leaving the sides of the kadai.
• After that add, coarsely ground channa and mix well and add chilli n garam masala powder stir fry for a minute.
• Then add tomato ketchup and sauté for a minute.
• Now add the cooked channa n saute for a minute and add enough water n salt .mix everything well and bring the channa masala mixutre to boil.

• Once it starts boiling add sugar and stir well and simmer till the oil from the masala starts leaving the kadai.
• Lastly add handful of finely chopped cilantro and mix well.
• That’s it...Very delicious mild sweet, mild sour n mild spicy channa Masala ready to serve.

Notes:

Don't use red onions for this curry since it is strong in flavor it took more time to cook n also your curry will be strong onion flavored.

Use Roma/Bangalore tomatoes for this curry.

Use the cooked channa water to the curry instead of adding plain water.

Pinch of orange food color can also be added to get attractive color.

I used MTR channa masla powder for this curry..

Hope you all like this recipe and try this at your home...Thank you!!!