Chana Masala

Steps

1. soak480 min
   room temperature, covered
   dried chickpeas + 4 cups water, until each bean has roughly doubled and shows no hard white core when split — an undersoaked or year-old chickpea is the single most common cause of a failed batch, and no amount of gravy time will fix it later. In a hurry, pour boiling water over and hold 1 hour instead.
2. pressure-cook35 min
   high pressure, natural release
   drained chickpeas + 2 cups fresh water + 0.5 tsp of the salt (+ tea bag if you want the dark pindi colour) — 5 to 7 whistles on medium in a stovetop cooker, or 30 to 35 minutes at high pressure in an electric one with at least 10 minutes of natural release. The two clocks are not interchangeable. Read doneness by pinching a bean: it should crush completely between finger and thumb while still holding its skin. If it resists, put the lid back on for more pressure time rather than boiling it harder in an open pot. Reserve the starchy cooking liquid.
3. fry1 min
   hot oil, until seeds sputter
   oil + cumin seeds + bay leaf, until the seeds crackle and darken a shade — this is a matter of seconds past the sputter, and burnt cumin turns the whole pot bitter
4. saute8 min
   medium, stirring
   + onion, until the edges are genuinely golden-brown, not merely translucent; this browning is the only sweetness in the dish and skipping it leaves the gravy sharp
5. saute2 min
   medium
   + ginger + garlic + green chili, until the raw garlic smell burns off and the paste smells nutty
6. simmer10 min
   medium, covered then uncovered
   + tomato + coriander + turmeric + kashmiri chili powder, mashing the tomato down until the mass pulls together and you see oil beading out at the edges = masala. That fat separation is the doneness cue; add the chickpeas before it and the gravy tastes thin and raw no matter how long you simmer afterward.
7. simmer18 min
   low, partly covered
   + cooked chickpeas + 1 to 1.5 cups of their reserved liquid + remaining salt, then mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot — the released starch is the thickener, so resist adding flour or cream. Simmer until the gravy coats a spoon and the beans have drunk in colour.
8. season2 min
   off heat
   + amchur + garam masala + kasuri methi crushed between the palms + cilantro. The late souring is what makes this taste like chana masala rather than a generic chickpea curry; added early it cooks flat, and the fenugreek loses its aroma entirely if it boils.