Channa Masala

Channa masala is one of my favorite dishes to order at an Indian restaurant. I love the depth of flavor, the soft (but not completely mushy) chickpeas, the onions and tomatoes in the sauce, and of course, all the spices. It's my go-to dish, the one by which I compare Indian restaurants, and I've had some really great chana masala over the years.

Tonight I tried the Trader Joe's version that has been sitting in our freezer door for a bit. It's easy to make - just microwave for a few minutes and then you're done.

Source
I thought this version was just okay. My biggest issue was the texture. The chickpeas were a little hard and kind of dry and chalky in the middle. I don't know if this is because there was a block of ice on top of the dish when I took it out of the box, or if that's just how it's made. But the chickpeas themselves were disappointing. The sauce was fine but not very spicy, unlike some reviews I had read which talked about its heat. I ate it plain instead of over rice or naan like I would normally eat chana masala, but I don't think that would have changed my opinion about it. Not sure I would get this again since I can get better chana masala delivered from a neighborhood place (it would cost more but it would be better).