Management and I recently discovered a little food purveyor tucked away in a strip mall in one of the more barren sections of East Windsor simply named Asia Grocers. Specializing in Indian foods they carry a wide array of spices, beans, rices, dry goods, condiments, and vegetables that you would be hard pressed to track down in your average regional (read: gringo) supermarket. Needless to say, the two times we have been there to shop we have looked like wide-eyed and stupefied white-folk, shuffling up and down the aisles exclaiming in wonder the quantity of dried tamarind available or the freshness and incredibly low cost of the cilantro (three huge bunches for $1!), all the while fondly clutching jars of mango and lime pickles, and onion chutney.

One of my favorite finds, however, had to be these ready to roll spice mixes, especially since my slackassedness has been reaching new heights these kinds of products are perfect for keeping me on top of my game. The bonus is that they are not some sort of sodium laden meal in a box, just a melange of spices to help cut costs and preparation time. The downside is that the recipe on the back of the box is in metric and is woefully inaccurate and scaled to feed lilliputians (Hello? Since when did 7oz of chickpeas feed a family of four?). So with my calculator in hand I set about converting measurements and per my usual self modified the recipe heavily.

Chana Masala, Chef Jimmy Style

Ingredients

• 35 oz canned chickpeas with liquid
• 1/2 large eggplant cubed
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper diced
• 1 large cubanelle pepper diced, seeds and veins included
• 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes with liquid
• 1 large handful of fresh cilantro
• 3 rounded tablespoons of chana masala spices
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in an 8 quart pan to near smoking
• Add onions, peppers, eggplant, and cilantro cooking until onion is translucent
• Stir in chickpeas with their liquid and mixing until well incorporated
• Stir in tomatoes and liquid and mixing until well incorporated
• When the mixture comes to a slow boil reduce heat to medium and stir in the chana masala spices
• Cook on a slow boil for 40 minutes stirring occasionally then reduce to medium-low and cook for another hour or until the liquid has been reduced by at least half
• Serve over gingered rice

Stupid simple and tasty.