Chana Masala Recipe

For a tasty, savory, and nutritious Indian lunch, try making this Chana Masala. A vegan, 

gluten-free, and high-protein curry that you can simply tailor to your preferences. Serve 

this with roti, poori, chapati, naan, or paratha, or with simple fluffy Basmati rice or Jeera 

rice. I provide the simplest recipe for making authentic Indian chickpea masala in this post, 

along with stovetop and instant pot directions. There are also lots of fast tips and tactics 

for using canned chickpeas.

A North Indian curry meal called chana masala is prepared with white chickpeas, 

tomatoes, onions, spices, and herbs. In Hindi, "chana" means "chickpeas," and "masala" 

means "spicy gravy." Thus, it consists solely of cooked chickpeas in a hot tomato and onion 

masala. One of the most well-liked vegetarian curries in the world, it is a mainstay in Indian 

restaurants and homes.

Despite its Punjabi origins, the meal is prepared in a variety of ways throughout the Indian 

subcontinent. Thus, the word "chana masala" is often used to describe a curry made with 

chickpeas. You can discover variations that are mildly toned down or quite spicy. This 

recipe will give you something halfway between the two, but you can simply adjust the 

amount of spices to your preferred level.

                                                             About Chana Masala

You may either use canned chickpeas or the classic method, which involves soaking the 

dried chickpeas overnight and cooking them until they are tender, to make this recipe. If 

you have cooked or canned chickpeas on hand, this one-pan dish only takes 30 to 35 

minutes to prepare.

Making the curry or masala is the first step in the recipe. We cook with tomatoes and 

spices after sautéing the onions, ginger, and garlic. Finally, this masala is cooked with 

chickpeas until they become soft and absorb the spices. The final product is a tasty, 

flavorful, protein-rich, and nutritious entrée.

Since that's how we typically make chana masala, I like to start my recipe with dried 

chickpeas. To save time, I pressure cook them, just like in most Indian homes. 

Ingredients:

For pressure cooking:

1 cup of chana or chickpea water for soaking

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

3 cups of water for cooking under pressure

For powdered chana masala:

1/2 cup of coriander plants

1/2 cup of cumin or jeera

2 tsp of pepper

1 tsp of clove

2 black cardamom pods

2 inches of cinnamon

1 mace or javitri

1 tsp fennel or saunf

1 tsp of caraway or Shah Jeera seeds

3 dried red chilies

2 tsp of aamchur

2 tsp of kasuri methi

1 tsp of turmeric

For curry:

2 tsp of clarified butter or ghee

3 cardamom pods

One bay leaf

1 tsp of cumin or jeera

One onion, chopped finely

One slit chilli

Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon

1/2 tsp of salt

2 cups of tomato purée or 2 tomatoes

2 tsp of finely chopped coriander

cooking under pressure Chana:

1.To begin, place 1 cup of chickpeas in a big dish and let them soak for 8 hours in adequate water.

2.Place the chickpeas in a pressure cooker after they have soaked.

3.Add three cups of water, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt. 

4.The chana should be cooked through after 5 to 6 whistles of pressure cooking.

making chana masala powder:

1.1.5 cups of coriander seeds, 1.5 cups of cumin, 2 teaspoons of pepper, 1 teaspoon of 

clove, 2 pods of black cardamom, 2 inches of cinnamon, 1 mace, 1 teaspoon of fennel, and 

1 teaspoon of shah jeera,dried red chilies in a skillet.

2.Roast over low heat until the spices begin to smell fragrant.

 3.After fully cooling, move to a mixi. Include 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp kasuri methi, and 2 

  tbsp aamchur and mix to a fine powder.

 7.The powdered chole masala is prepared. For a longer shelf life, store in an airtight container. 

Chana masala curry preparation:

1.first heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a big kadai and sauté 3 pod cardamom, 1 bay leaf, and     1 tsp cumin till fragrant.

2.Sauté one onion, one chilli, and one teaspoon of ginger garlic paste until the onions are golden brown.

 3.Now, thoroughly mix in 2 cups of tomato puree. Two ripe tomatoes should be blended 

into a homogeneous paste without the addition of water to make tomato puree.

4.Additionally, add ½ tsp salt and 1 tablespoon of made chole masala. Sauté the masala 

over low heat until it becomes fragrant.

5.Sauté until the masala paste and oil separate.

6.Add the pressure-cooked chana now, and stir thoroughly, adjusting the consistency as needed.

7.For ten minutes, or until the flavors are fully absorbed, cover and simmer.

8.Lastly, savor two tablespoons of coriander and chana masala with hot steamed rice, puri, or roti.

Serving Recommendations:

As previously stated, I like my chole masala with a roti or poori. Phulka, kulcha, bhatura, 

naan, and tandoori roti are a few excellent choices. You may make the ideal Indian supper 

by adding some sliced onions and fresh lemon or lime.

This chole dish also works well with plain steamed Basmati or jeera rice if you are gluten 

intolerant.

Expert Tips:

if the chickpeas you're using are old and have been on the shelf for a while. As the 

chickpeas are cooking, add a pinch of baking soda. They cook more quickly as a result. Use 

only the remaining stock when cooking, discarding the other half. There may be an 

aftertaste if all of the stock is used.