Chana Masala – This chickpea recipe comes together with a flavorful tomato-based curry made from onions, fresh ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro. Our restaurant-style chana masala comes together in 40 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal; it serves as a stand-alone meal or a tasty side dish. We serve ours with basmati rice, poori, and halwa.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Ghee: Ghee is a staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine and develops a deep, nutty base that sets the stage for the dish.
- Seeds: Toasting cumin and kalonji seeds pronounces their flavor.
- Chilis: Slit lengthwise, green chilies add heat that doesn’t overwhelm.
- Onion: Use red or yellow onions to flavor the curry.
- Garlic: I suggest using three cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use – go for it.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is a key ingredient for flavorful chana masala.
- Spices: I use Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and coriander powder.
- Tomato: Fresh tomatoes create a rich, flavorful masala for the chickpeas to simmer.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are convenient, but you can use dry ones if you don’t mind the extra work; soak chickpeas for 6-24 hours beforehand and increase the cooking time for this recipe to 1-2 hours.
- Cilantro: Cilantro brightens and flavors the dish.
HOW TO MAKE CHANA MASALA
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of kalonji seeds, cumin seed, and green chilies. Cook until the ingredients begin to sputter.
Lower the heat to medium-low, and then add onion. Cook until the onions brown and caramelize. This step may take a while, and that’s okay. You are building flavor.
Next, add garlic and ginger, and stir to combine.
Combine chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala in a small bowl. Stir the spices into the mixture until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the green chilies and use an immersion blender to blend the masala until smooth. Alternatively, you can remove the mixture from heat and add it to a blender or food processor.
Return the mixture to the pan, along with the reserved chilies. Then add the chickpeas, cilantro, 1/2 cup water, and bring it all to a simmer.
Sprinkle the dish with kalonji seeds and cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar. Lower the heat and maintain a gentle bubble. Cook for about 12-15 minutes until the mixture reduces.
Season chana masala with salt as needed, and garnish with cilantro.
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SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Roti
- Naan
- Paratha
- Poori
- Chapati
- Basmati Rice
- Chutney
- Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad
- Raita
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS
- FRIDGE – Store leftovers in an air-tight container; chana will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- FREEZE – Allow the dish to cool, and add it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Channa masala will freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, defrost it in the fridge overnight.
- REHEAT – To serve, warm it on the stovetop, and enjoy!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Warm ghee in an Instant Pot in saute mode. Add one teaspoon of kalonji seeds, cumin seed, and green chilies. Cook until the ingredients begin to sputter.
2. Add onion and cook until the onions brown and caramelize.
3. Next, add garlic and ginger, and stir to combine.
4. Combine chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala in a small bowl. Stir the spices into the mixture until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the green chilies and use an immersion blender to blend the masala until smooth. Alternatively, you can remove the mixture from heat and add it to a blender or food processor.
7. Return the mixture to the Instant Pot, along with the reserved chilies. Then add the chickpeas, cilantro, 1/2 cup water, and bring it all to a simmer in saute mode.
8. Sprinkle with kalonji seeds and secure the lid. Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure, and cook for 10 minutes with a quick release.
9. Taste and season with salt, and garnish with cilantro and more kalonji seeds.
All you have to do to make this recipe vegan is to use a different oil in place of ghee; I suggest grapeseed oil.
YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY:
Chana Masala- Chickpea Curry
Equipment
- Blender or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon kalonji seeds, plus more to garnish
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1-3 Thai green chili, split lengthwise
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon homemade garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
- 1-2 large tomatoes, chopped, use more if you prefer more gravy or curry
- 2- 15oz. can chickpea, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, plus more to garnish
- ½ cup water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Warm ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of kalonji seeds, cumin seeds, and green chilies. Cook until the ingredients sputter.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, then add onion; cook until the onions brown and caramelize. Next, add garlic and ginger, and stir to combine.
- Combine chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala in a small bowl. Stir the spices into the mixture until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the green chilies and use an immersion blender to blend the masala until smooth. Alternatively, you can remove the mixture from heat and add it to a blender or food processor.
- Return the mixture to the pan, along with the reserved chilies. Then add the chickpeas, cilantro, 1/2 cup water, and bring it all to a simmer.
- Sprinkle the dish with kalonji seeds and cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar. Lower the heat and maintain a gentle bubble. Cook for about 12-15 minutes until the mixture reduces.
- Season chana masala with salt as needed, and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Web Story: Check out our web story for chana masala!
Samantha
Monday 11th of April 2022
I’m a picky eater and have never had this type of cultural dish before and it was amazing!! Thank you so much for introducing me to it! I will definitely be making it more often :)
Tressa - Jamil Ghar Team
Monday 11th of April 2022
I am so happy you were able to make and enjoy something new!
Calee Cortes
Wednesday 30th of March 2022
Literally so delicious! One of my favorites on here so far!
Tressa - Jamil Ghar Team
Wednesday 6th of April 2022
Thanks for trying and loving this recipe, Calee!