Everyone has their go-to “can’t possibly dream of cooking” heat-and-eat meal; pouches of premade chana masala, available from brands like Tasty Bite and Maya Kaimal, are mine. These microwavable bundles are packed with flavor, deeply spiced, and just saucy enough—so much so that test kitchen director Chris Morocco couldn’t believe I hadn’t added a couple of extra ingredients to the mix myself before letting him try it. As such, all you really need to do is pour the warm chickpeas over rice to enjoy, but if you want to go the extra mile, a showering of cilantro, chopped raw red onion, crushed cashews, and/or a fried egg never hurt.
This preparation is for when I want to take it once step further, to transform the premade mixture into something that feels brand-new. Wilting a bit of spinach into the chana masala adds bulk and color, creating a filling perfect for spooning into the center of rounds of store-bought pizza dough. The resulting calzone-style pockets are cozy and filling, ideal with a cool yogurt sauce served on the side for dipping.
Cook’s Note: While you could absolutely sub in frozen spinach here if that’s what you have on hand, you’ll have to increase the greens’ cook time; you want to introduce as little liquid as possible to the filling to make sure the dough cooks through, and fresh spinach cooks down quickly to a drier consistency.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°. Rub a rimmed baking sheet all over with extra-virgin olive oil. Place one 10-oz. package instant chana masala in a medium bowl. Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high. Add 5 oz. baby spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Scrape into bowl with chana masala and stir to combine.
Step 2
Divide 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature, into 4 equal portions and place on a lightly floured surface. Working one a time, roll each portion into a 5" round. Divide spinach mixture among rounds, placing in the center of each. Fold one side of dough up and over filling until edges meet up to create a half-moon. Pinch and press edges to seal. Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Step 3
Brush top of each pocket with 1 large egg, beaten to blend, then sprinkle with 2 tsp. sesame seeds. Bake until crust is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Let pockets cool slightly on baking sheet, then cut in half.
Step 4
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and a big pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle yogurt sauce with a pinch of Kashmiri or other red chile powder or paprika if desired.
Step 5
Serve pockets with yogurt sauce.
Recipe notes
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