Slow Cooker Chana Masala
The best Slow Cooker Chana Masala recipe. Dump everything in the crockpot and within a few hours you have a delicious, fragrant meal to sit down to. This recipe is free of any added oils, and it is also soy-free, gluten-free and nut-free. Serve the chana masala hot with rice or rotis, phulkas or naans.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time6 hours hrs
Total Time6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Side
Cuisine: Fat-free, gluten-free, Indian, nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 263kcal
- 29 oz chickpeas
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 large potatoes (cut in a small dice, optional. Chana masala doesn't usually have potatoes in it, and you can definitely leave them out).
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch knob ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (powdered)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (powdered)
- 1 tablespoon chana masala powder (or garam masala)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (use more or less depending on your tolderance for heat)
- ¼ cup cilantro
- Salt to taste
Puree the onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger
Place in the crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients, except the salt and the cilantro.
Add 3 cups water and set the slow cooker on high. (It is important to set this on high. Do not tweak to a low setting because the water won't cook off and you want the raw ingredients like the onions and tomatoes to cook thoroughly), I had originally suggested adding more water, but some readers say that's too much for them, so I suggest starting out with 3 cups and adding more if the mixture dries up. Six cups was just right in my cooker. Be sure to use drained chickpeas, and if you use the cooking water, factor that into the total amount of liquid used.
Let the chana masala cook for six hours. Check occasionally and add water if needed.
After six hours, add salt and cilantro and mix well.
Serve with rice or rotis.
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 4mg