Chana Masala Kale Bowl

The seasoned chickpea dish chana masala, while traditionally meatless, gets a new twist in this recipe. Served over a kale alongside shredded beets and sunflower seeds, it’s part salad, part curry and totally delicious. This recipe comes to us from Alexandra of The New Baguette.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the chana masala:

• 1 tablespoon organic canola oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 hot green chili pepper, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes with their juices, finely diced
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 cups cooked chickpeas OR 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

For the bowl:

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sunflower OR extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 large bunch curly kale, stemmed, and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 large beet, peeled, and shredded/spiralized
• 1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds, toasted

Directions

To make the chana masala:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes.
Turn heat down to medium-low and add the spices. Cook for 1 minute. Then add tomatoes with their juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Add water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

To make bowls and assemble:
In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, garlic, lemon juice, oil and salt.
In a large bowl, massage kale with ginger dressing for 1 minute, until kale has softened and wilted a little.
To serve, divide kale among 4 bowls, top with shredded beets, chana masala and sunflower seeds.
Do ahead: The chana masala, dressing and vegetables may be prepared separately and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.