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Chana masala recipe with side of poori and potato curry.
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5 from 43 votes

Chana Masala Recipe

This Indian restaurant style chana masala is made by simmering chickpeas in a delicious onion and tomato sauce flavored with a simple spice blend. The recipe is one-pot and comes together in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 126kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (to make this without oil, roast cumin and saute the onions in ¼ cup vegetable stock)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 black cardamom pods (these have a rich flavor so start by using 1, if you wish, the first time you make this recipe)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 3 cups chickpeas (cooked or canned)
  • 3 medium tomatoes (pureed)
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • 2 teaspoon red chilli powder (like paprika. Or use cayenne, for more heat)
  • 1 tablespoon chana masala powder (or garam masala. Add ½ teaspoon amchur or dried mango powder if you use garam masala--refer to expert tips above for more details.)
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro (coriander leaves, inely chopped)
  • Salt to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds in a skillet or saute pan. As they begin to darken, which should take no more than a few seconds, add the black cardamom pods and bay leaf. Saute a few seconds, then add the onions.
    If making this oil free, roast the cumin seeds, cardamom and bay leaf in a dry pan. Then add the water and proceed to step 2.
  • Add some salt and saute the onions over medium heat until they start to get brown spots. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.
  • Add the tomato puree and mix in. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric, if using, and red chilli powder. Mix well.
  • Stir in and let the tomatoes cook for about five minutes until most of the water has evaporated and the tomatoes are darker
  • Add the chickpeas. Stir in, then add about a cup of water. The chana masala should be quite thick. If you want to thin it out, wait until after the next step.
  • Bring the chana masala to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times in between to make sure there's enough liquid in the pot.
  • Next mash some of the chickpeas with the back of the ladle. This will also help the sauce thicken. Add more water at this stage if you want to thin out the chana masala a bit more.
  • Stir in the chana masala powder. Add salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro.
  • Serve hot.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 752IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg