Channa Masala

Ingredients:

Channa/ White chickpea/vellai kondakadalai - 1 cup
Onion - ½ medium sized - cut into cubes
Onion - ½ medium sized - cut lengthwise
Tomato - 2 medium sized 
Red chili - 4
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cinnamon , cardamom, cloves powder - 1 pinch
or
Cinnamon stick - ¼ inch piece
Cardamom  - 1 piece
Cloves - 2 or 3

Preparation:

-  Soak Channa/ White chickpea/ vellai kondakadalai for 8-10 hrs or over night

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook soaked channa with salt for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool naturally.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom (as pieces or in powder form). As nice flavor comes out add the onions cut in cubes, ginger garlic paste. Saute until it becomes soft and gives nice flavor.

3. Then add tomato, salt, turmeric powder and red chili, saute until it becomes mushy. Cool this gravy for some time and grind it into smooth paste.

4. Again heat the pan with oil, and add onion that are cut length wise. Saute them until it becomes soft. Then add the paste, cooked chickpea, coriander powder, cumin powder and one cup of water. 

5. Close the lid and keep it in low flame for 3 min or gravy comes to desired consistency. It taste great with poori.