27 October 2008

Channa Masala and Veganniversary Despite Everything

Today is a special day. Today I feel good even though I watched "We Feed The World" yesterday and it made me feel desperately small, hopeless and helpless. Even though I listened to another ranty Angry Hippie's podcast, which was about "Bullshitatarians" whom I've myself had to encounter on several occasions lately and who have only had a rather frustrating effect on my optimism. Even though some of my closest friends refuse to even try to understands my reasons for leading a vegan lifestyle, let alone support it. Even though reading the new post on the Peaceful Prairie Blog made me cry again (tears of delight, of hope, of being moved to the bottom of my heart by the simple beauty of life that is of such strong will, but so neglected by us). Even though I am still forced to share my dinner table with sausage-munching and dead-chicken-limb gnawing individuals. Even though my own mother still probably thinks I'm going through somekind of a phase or that I am part of some sinister sect. Even though my temporary flat mates had already cooked something by the time I got home ignoring the fact that I was supposed to make a special meal for them tonight. Even though they first invited me to eat with them and then discovered there was nothing vegan on their menu, so I could not join them unless I wanted to end up chewing on bread and watching them devour dead bodies...

Despite all that I am feeling good today because it is my 6-month veganniversary. A tiny mile-marker in view of many more to come and that I wish to celebrate serenely.

For this occasion I am making the wonderful Channa Masala (a huge shout-out and thank you to Dino here!) even though I'll end up eating it alone (that leaves more for me!). And to all the countless people who have asked me in the past six months and who are yet to ask me in the years to come this perpetual question: "what DO you eat??": this recipe is for you. Trust me, it is easy to make. Try it while listening to the last episode (n° 101) of Vegan Freak Radio or the episode n° 6 of Satisfy The Mind and I assure you that many more of your potential questions shall be answered.


CHANNA MASALA (Annu's style)

Take a large skillet or a saucepan, put it on heat and pour in cooking oil (sunflower, canola, peanut oil or whatever you have lying around. And don't be stingy!) Let it get very hot, then throw in about a teaspoon-full of cumin seeds, let them start popping and then add about as much crushed coriander seeds. As the popping gets crazier, throw in one chopped onion and a head of crushed garlic (or more if you love them as much as I do), add some grated ginger and let them get soft in the oil.
As soon as they're nice and soft, add about 1/2-1 ts of tumeric (curcuma) powder. Then throw in almost-cooked-through potatoes cut into cubes and the pre-cooked chickpeas (in about the same proportions). You can use canned chickpeas or cook them yourself in salty water for about 1,5h after having soaked them overnight. Shortly after that add some finely chopped tomatoes as well as about 2-3 tbs of tomato paste/concentrate (after heating it for a minute or two on a separate little pan). You might also want to keep the tasty liquid of your cooked chickpeas and add it to make everything juicier. Or add some tomato sauce or vegetable broth. Let it simmer on medium to small heat until it looks something like a slightly thick stew. When it's almost done cooking, add the very last bit of taste with garam masala spice-mix. No worries in case you don't have it - you can very well replace it by mixing together a little of cinnamon, clove and ground nutmeg (muscade). Add salt and pepper (or even something hotter!) according to your taste and serve with rice or pita bread or whatever else you want. And don't forget: don't be afraid to improvise!

Bon appetit and happy vegalienation and veganniversation and de-channamasalation!