The Best Chana Masala

Treat yourself to this Indian restaurant style chana masala!

Chana masala (also called chole masala) is a spicy north Indian dish of chickpeas in a tomato onion gravy that is best eaten with a naan, roti or rice. This delicious one pot chana masala recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. It is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and it can be oil-free.

If you were to drop in on us at lunchtime on a Saturday, you would very likely find us gathered together at the table over a big pot of chana masala.

I usually serve it exactly as you see in these pictures: with a dry potato curry and an Indian bread like poori or naan. It is the perfect, comforting -- and nourishing -- meal to end the week with, and one that stirs tons of comforting flavor into our family time together.

Chana Masala is a hearty, wholesome dish of chickpeas in a brick-red tomato onion sauce that you are almost certain to find on any Indian restaurant menu, anywhere in the world. It needs no introduction to someone on even slighty familiar terms with Indian food.

For me, chana masala is the stuff of nostalgia. Although this is a north Indian dish, it was often on the dinner table in my childhood home despite the fact that my family was from western India. My mom simply referred to it as chole (cho-lay), because that's what chickpeas are called in north India.

I've been making chana masala for nearly as long as I've been cooking, and I'd shared with you a recipe for an easy version a few years back. I also have a slow cooker chana masala and an instant recipe using the basic tomato onion masala sauce on the blog.

Today, I am sharing the version I make most often, this easy chana masala, a recipe I first posted a few years ago. I have since made some improvements to the recipe that make it taste even more divine and rich, exactly as it should.

Making this homemade chana masala is an effort well worth the 30 minutes or so it takes to pull this dish together. You do need a few specialized spices, but it's well worth buying them because you'll be making this dish over and over. And, of course, there are tons of other vegan Indian recipes on the blog that you can use them in.

Try this chana masala, and come back and tell me if it isn't the most delicious--and easy--Indian dish you have ever cooked and enjoyed.

Where is chana masala from?

Chana masala is a north Indian dish made with "chana" or chickpeas, in a spicy sauce -- a "masala". It is perhaps the quintessential Punjabi vegetarian dish and it is popular restaurant food the world over. In north India you'd just as easily find chana masala being served at a dhaba, a roadside eatery, as you'd find it at an upscale restaurant or in a home kitchen.

How to make a quick but authentic chana masala from scratch

Making a chana masala from scratch is quite easy. If you are intimidated at the idea of cooking Indian food this is one of the easiest dishes you could try. Just make sure you use the right spices.

Essential spices for chana masala

To add richness to this recipe, start out with two whole spices, which you can easily fish out before serving--black cardamom and dry bay leaves. These will make all the difference and add great depth of flavor without the long cooking time.

Second, a chana masala needs its own mix of spices, which you'll find quite easily at Indian stores and online, and it's called, simply, chana masala powder. It's a blend that includes spices like coriander seed, black salt, ginger powder, and a few other spices. It is quite inexpensive and worth buying if you want your chana masala to taste authentic.

You can, however, use garam masala if that's what you have. But if you do, you will need to add amchoor (pronounced um-choor), a tart, dry mango powder. The chickpeas and the tomato-onion sauce won't quite marry together without it, and you'll be left feeling you didn't get what you were hoping for.

Canned chickpeas or chickpeas cooked from scratch?

You can use either, as I do depending on how much time I have to preplan this recipe. Dried chickpeas are always the best option because there are no preservatives, and an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, if you have one, makes short work of cooking chickpeas, even unsoaked chickpeas. But the convenience of using canned chickpeas can't be beat. If using canned, make sure you place the chickpeas in a strainer and wash out any of the brine sticking to them to ensure it doesn't interfere with the flavor.

Ingredient list for chana masala

• Vegetable oil. Peanut oil is best, but avocado oil or any flavorless vegetable oil is fine. Don't use olive oil or coconut oil.
• Cumin seeds
• Black cardamom (also called brown cardamom. These are much richer and more robust tasting than the small green cardamom pods)
• Dry bay leaf
• Onion
• Ginger garlic paste
• Tomatoes. Try and use fresh, pureed tomatoes for the best taste. Canned tomatoes are okay but don't use herbed or fire-roasted tomatoes because they won't taste right here. If all you have are canned diced tomatoes, puree them before adding to the pot. At a great pinch, if tomato paste is all you have, add a quarter cup of it instead of the pureed tomatoes.
• Ground coriander
• Ground cumin (optional. We already have cumin seeds so you can leave it out but I like the bit of depth it adds).
• Paprika (and, optionally, cayenne. Chana masala powder and garam masala powder can be hot, depending on the brand you buy, so check that before adding cayenne to the pot. You can use any other red chili powder instead of cayenne.)
• Chana masala powder (or use garam masala powder + ½ teaspoon amchoor).
• Chickpeas
• Salt to taste
• Cilantro

Watch a short video on how to make chana masala

Step-by-step instructions for making chana masala

• Start out by heating the oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and stir-fry for a minute or so until slightly darker and fragrant.
• Add onions with a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions turn golden-brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
• Add the tomatoes, pureed, to the pot. Stir them in and let them cook about five minutes until darker and thick.
• Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, if using, and paprika. If you're using garam masala powder, add the ground fennel seeds and amchoor at this stage. If using chana masala powder you can leave the fennel and amchoor out because it's already in the powder.
• Stir and cook five more minutes.
• Stir in the chickpeas and 1 cup water (use less or more depending on the thickness you like. Chana masala should be fairly thick and not runny).
• Once the chana masala comes to a boil cover and let it cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times to ensure there is enough liquid in the pot.
• Mash some (not all) of the chickpeas with the ladle. This step is important because it will give the curry some body and also make it taste better.
• Stir in the chana masala powder or garam masala powder. Mix well, add chopped cilantro, and turn off heat. You can squirt in some fresh lemon juice at this point, if you like, but it's not necessary.

What to serve with the chana masala

• Now that you've made chana masala, what do you eat it with? In north India, you'd likely eat a chana masala with a bhatura, a fried, puffy bread that is a lot like a poori, only larger. You can just make pooris. I also love serving the poori-chana with a potato curry like this Batata Bhaji, which we always ate with pooris growing up.
• Naan goes very nicely with chana masala. You can buy naan off the shelf in most U.S. supermarkets now. Or make a garlic vegan naan following this recipe. You can make it a plain naan by skipping the garlic oil.
• Rice is also a wonderful accompaniment to chana masala. You can serve the curry over basmati rice, either plain white or brown basmati rice. You can also serve it with an aromatic cumin rice. Here's my recipe for Jeera Rice, which comes together in 15 minutes flat with no soak and prep time, and tastes divine.

Storage and freezing instructions

• Refrigerate: Chana masala leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
• Freeze: Freeze the chana masala in an airtight container for up to four months.
• Reheat: Reheat the frozen chana masala in a microwave or let it defrost in the refrigerator, then reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Frequently asked questions

More yummy chickpea recipes you might like

• Chickpea Curry (with coconut milk)
• Chickpea Rice
• Chickpea Avocado Salad
• Vegan Thai Curried Chickpeas
• Pasta with Roasted Chickpeas, Cauliflower and Spinach