masala | A Hungry Runner

Hi there!

Guess what day it is?!

Um, no. It’s not Wednesday. Yet. That’s tomorrow. Patience, grasshopper.

It’s Tasty Tuesday!!

After you check out my tasty new recipe and subsequently go to the grocery store to buy the ingredients so you can have it for dinner tomorrow, don’t forget to head on over to Lena’s page to check out all the other Tasty Tuesday yumminess!

Oh wait, check out her page first. She’s got tomorrow’s breakfast covered. 🙂

I had picked up some organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Harris Teeter but I didn’t really have a plan for them.

I wouldn’t recommend doing that on a regular basis. If you’re me, you might forget that you bought them, never be inspired, never come up with a plan and then they’ll go bad and you’ve just wasted money.

Wasting money is bad.

BUT, turns out I was inspired!

I decided to make a riff on Chana Masala and my Chana ma-Chicken and use my crockpot to do the heavy lifting.

Yes, Chana ma-Chicken. I told you I need work on recipe naming. #dontjudgeme

When I got home from work, the house smelled so delicious with all the lovely curry and Indian spicy smells.

You know, it just occurred to me how much that must torture my dogs when I cook in the crockpot. A dog’s sense of smell is what, a bazillian times greater than ours? Can you just imagine the anguish they must feel smelling delicious dinner ALL DAY LONG and then, they don’t even get any?!

It’s quite possible that I’m the worst doggy mama ever.

Crockpot Masala Chicken & Chickpeas
serves 4-6

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon allspice
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Cooked rice, for serving

1. Place chicken thighs and chickpeas in crockpot.

2. In a small bowl, mix diced tomatoes and spices. Pour over chicken and chickpeas. Cover crockpot and cook on low, 8 hours.

3. NOM. NOM. NOM.

Talk to me: What’s your favorite chickpea recipe? How many times a week do you use your crockpot?

– jennifer

Ah, carb loading…. one of the best parts of marathon training. 🙂 This recipe came to me as a gift from God – thank goodness for Pinterest! I have already professed my love for the chickpea so it should come as no surprise that when I saw this, I knew it must be made and gobbled. Chana Masala can’t just happen on any day – it must be made on the PERFECT day. It doesn’t really require an exhorbitant amount of time so it’s definitely doable after work but the temperature must be perfect. Yesterday was that day – it was cool and rainy and blech. Chana Masala is perfect for perking up a dreary day!

I made a small adjustment to this recipe and it garnered rave reviews. I love Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes. There’s just something about them. It’s a sad day indeed if I reach in my pantry for a can and there isn’t one. I cry. Literally. Anyway, I left out the jalapeno and used the fire-roasted tomatoes as the “heat.” Delicious! Those tomatoes provided a nice smoky burn that totally complimented the flavors of the spices. This meal literally had me grinning from ear to ear. No Indian restaurants near you? Now you don’t need one. 🙂 Enjoy!

Chana Masala

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the butter. Once melted, add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat or until golden brown. Once the onions have caramelized, add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it starts to smell like heaven on earth.

2. Add the tomato paste and pince. (Pincing is essentially a browning process.After you add the tomato paste, stir it very well into the other ingredients. Then flatten the ingredients into one layer on the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat and allow the sugars to cook down for a few minutes and create a really nice brown crust on the bottom of your pan. It may look like it’s burnt but it isn’t so don’t freak out.)

3. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric and stir well.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and garam masala. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chickpeas have heated through. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and top with plain yogurt and cilantro, if desired. Serve with Naan on the side, if desired.