Chana Masala | Chickpea Curry

Chana masala is an authentic Indian curry. This is a healthy chickpea curry made with aromatic Indian spices. This chickpea curry is a vegan and gluten-free main course.

What is chana masala aka chickpea curry?

Chickpea curry or chana masala is a rich creamy curry where chickpeas are cooked in flavorful and aromatic spices making this curry drool-worthy. This chickpea curry is vegan and gluten-free.

Chana masala is one popular food in India, especially in Northern India. But this chana masala aka chickpea curry is most loved in other countries globally. You can always do variations and experiments with spices added to the curry to customize it to your taste preference. Also, check out my sauteed chickpeas here.

Chana or chickpea is a pulse and this is a rich source of protein and hence considered as a healthy food. It's an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

Vegan Chickpea Curry aka Chana Masala

Chana masala or chickpea curry is an easy vegan curry that takes 30 - 40 minutes to prepare (if you have soaked or cooked chickpeas ready).

The only time-consuming task is soaking the chickpeas. Since Chickpeas are hard pulses, we need to soak them for 6 - 8 hours or overnight before cooking. This is necessary for a lesser cooking time as well as for better digestion.

If you are using pre-cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas, this is an easy and quick dish. Also, you can make this on the stovetop and in the instant pot.

How to make chickpea curry/ chana masala?

Ingredients You'll Need

Dried Chickpeas - Substitute - canned chickpeas or preboiled chickpeas

Baking soda ½ tsp (optional) - helps in cooking quickly and evenly

Whole spices (bay leaf, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper)

For Gravy

Any vegetable oil - Purified butter for non-vegans

Onion, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic

Whole Spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper)

Ground spices - coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, chana masala, or chole masala.

(Chana masala or chole masala is required for an authentic flavor. You can also make your homemade chana masala and store it)

Herbs - Fresh cilantro leaves, dried fenugreek leaves (crushed)

Optional - Coconut milk - This will help to balance out the heat and spices if you are not used to spicy Indian food.

Instructions - Stovetop method

Soak chole (chickpea) overnight or 6 - 8 hrs. Then remove and rinse with fresh water 1 - 2 times.

Add the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker followed by water, whole spices, and salt. Place the whole spices in a tea strainer or tie in a muslin cloth piece. You can also add a pinch of baking soda for quick and even cooking of chickpeas.

Then pressure cook in a manual pressure cooker for 5 - 6 whistles. If not added baking soda, the cooking time may be a little longer than this.

Once cooked and pressure from the cooker is released naturally, remove the lid. Now remove the chickpeas or chana from the water using a colander and keep them away from being used further in the next steps.

Make the gravy for chole or chickpeas:

Heat oil in a pan. Add whole spices (a bay leaf, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon) and saute on low flame for 30 seconds or till it's fragrant.

Now add ginger garlic paste (minced fresh ginger and garlic) and saute till it leaves a pungent smell. Now add the ground spices and quickly saute for 10 - 15 seconds on low flame.

Then add onion paste and cook till it leaves oil. You can also add finely chopped onions in place of onion paste.

Add pureed tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes till it's cooked.

Now add boiled chickpeas or chole to the pan. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 7 - 10 minutes on low heat.

If you want to add coconut cream or milk, add now and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes more. This step is optional and you can skip if want authentic type chickpea curry.

Turn off the heat once done. Garnish with some finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with a drizzle of lemon juice.

Serving Ideas

It's paired best with bhature (deep-fried bread). But this curry is versatile and can go well with poori, naan, kulcha, tandoori roti, or even with plain steamed rice or jeera rice.

Storage and Reheat

You can store this chickpea curry in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days. Bring the curry to room temperature and store it in an air-tight container for refrigeration.

To reheat, take out the portion size and reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave. Reheat for 1 minute in the microwave stirring once in halfway. For the stovetop, transfer the curry to a pan. Add 1 - 2 tbsp water and bring the curry to a simmer.

Recipe Card for Chana Masala

If you like the recipes and want to stay updated, subscribe via email. Also, I would request you to like and share my Facebook Page. Follow My Dainty Kitchen on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

PIN IT FOR LATER