Healthy and Delicious Chana Masala Recipe

This traditional North Indian style curry, also known as Chole Masala, is cooked with white chickpeas, freshly powdered spices, onions, tomatoes, and herbs. This tasty vegetarian dish is rich with vital minerals, protein, and fibre. This famous Indian recipe is also gluten-free. Make a delicious meal for your family and friends by serving this delectable recipe with butter naan, pickle, and chilled raita.

Chana Masala Recipe

Ingredients for Pressure Cooking White Chickpeas

• 200 grams white chickpeas
• 2.5 to 3 cups water – for pressure cooking the chickpeas
• 2 to 3 dried amla or Indian gooseberry or 1 black tea bag
• 3 cups water – for soaking chickpeas
• ½ teaspoon salt or add as required

Ingredients for Gravy

• 1 medium-sized onions, finely chopped 
• 1 medium-sized tomatoes, finely chopped 
• ½ teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste 
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala 
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder 
• 2 to 3 green chilies – slit
• 1 to 1.25 cups water or the stock in which the chickpeas were cooked
• 1.5 to 2 tablespoons oil
• salt as required

Spices for Chana Masala Powder

• 2 black cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 3 to 4 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf) – medium sized
• ¼ teaspoon ajwain
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon dry pomegranate seeds
• 1 to 2 kashmiri dry red chilies

Ingredients for Garnishing

• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• ½ to 1 inch ginger – julienne
• 1 medium onion sliced or chopped
• 1 medium tomato sliced or chopped
• 1 lemon or lime, sliced 

Method

White Chickpea Soaking and Cooking

Step 1: Rinse the chickpeas several times with fresh water. Then soak them in water for 8 to 9 hours, or overnight. As the chickpeas grow in size after soaking, add more water as needed. Drain the water and rinse the soaked chickpeas with fresh water again.

Step 2: Traditionally, dried amla (Indian gooseberries) are added to the chickpeas to give them a dark colour. These also add a slight sourness to the stock. If you don’t have dried amla, substitute 1 black tea bag.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas and 3 to 4 dried amla pieces or 1 black-tea bag to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Taj tea bags work extremely well. Then pour in the water.

Step 4: Season with salt and cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker for 12 to 15 whistles on medium heat. The chickpeas should be well cooked and softened. When you mash or eat the chickpeas, they should be mushy. When you consume the chickpeas, they should not give you a bite.

Spices for Dry Roasting

Step 5: Take all of the entire spices for the “chole masala powder” listed above and roast them in a skillet over low heat.

Step 6: Stir frequently and toast the spices until they are nicely browned. Don’t burn down on them. You must continue roasting them even after they get fragrant and more browned than is usually the case.

Step 7: Allow the roasted spices to cool before grinding or powdering them finely in a coffee grinder or a dry grinder.

Step 8: The chana should be done by now. In the safe, you will see a darker brown colour (white chana). Remove any amla bits that have softened or the tea bag from the stock.

How to Make Chana Masala

Step 9:  In a pan or kadai, heat the oil. Sauté for a few seconds, or until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic paste fades.

Step 10: Then add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are transparent or light brown.

Step 11: Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and the oil begins to leave the sides of the onion and tomato mixture.

Step 12: Reduce the heat to low and add all of the ground powdered chole masala, as well as the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder (optional).

Step 13: Stir in the dry ground spices, followed by the slit green chillies. Cooked chickpeas should be added now. Combine thoroughly.

Step 14: Season with salt to taste. Then add 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock used to boil the chickpeas. You can also substitute water. Cover the pan with a lid and stir.

Chole Masala Recipe

Step 15: Cook over a low to medium heat. The chana masala can also be cooked without the lid. The gravy will thicken and decrease as it boils. Mash a few chickpeas to aid in the thickening of the gravy.

Step 16: Simmer until the desired consistency is achieved. This curry is not thin, but rather medium to semi-dry in consistency. Add less water for a thicker or semi-dry consistency.

Step 17: If you did not roast the spices with dry pomegranate seeds, you must now add amchur powder (dry mango powder). Stir thoroughly.

Step 18: Serve with kulcha, bhatura, poori, roti, naan, and bread, along with chopped onions, tomatoes, and lemon or lime wedges.

Step 19: Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julienne before serving. This Chole Masala pairs well with steaming rice, jeera rice, or saffron rice.

Tips to Enhance the Taste

• Using fresh ginger-garlic instead of store-bought ginger-garlic paste improves the overall flavour.
• Check that dried chickpeas are fresh and within their shelf life. Cooking old or aged chickpeas takes a long time and does not taste nice.
• If you don’t have dry mango powder (amchur) or dried pomegranate seeds, add lime or lemon juice once you are done with cooking.
• You can alternatively use 3 cups of canned chickpeas once the tomatoes and the spices have been well sautéed.
• When the dish is ready, add some kasuri methi, which are dried fenugreek leaves that add a beautiful aroma to the dish. A handful of cilantro is also required!

Serving Ideas

Tandoori roti, phulka, kulcha, bhatura, or naan are all great options to go along with chana masala. Add some sliced onions and fresh lime or lemon for the perfect Indian dinner! If you want it to be gluten-free, you can have this dish with simple steamed Basmati or jeera rice.

Nutritional Content in Chana Masala  Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions About Chana Masala Recipe