chana

Simple chana masala recipe made in restaurant style. Chana masala is a popular Indian dish made with chickpeas in an onion tomato gravy. It goes great as a side with rice, paratha or roti.

Chana Masala

chana ((chickpeas raw) (or 2¼ cups soaked or canned))

water

oil (or as needed)

ginger garlic ((chopped or paste))

tomatoes ((1½ cups chopped or tomato puree))

red chili powder ((adjust as desired))

turmeric

Salt ((adjust

onion ((optional) (⅓ cup chopped finely))

bay leaf ((optional))

cinnamon ((optional))

((optional))

green cardamoms ((optional))

green chili (slit (optional))

garam masala ((adjust to taste))

coriander powder

kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves) (optional))

amchur ((dried mango powder) optional)

coriander leaves ((cilantro chopped finely))

Chana masala

Rinse dried chickpeas thoroughly and soak for 8 hours in lots of water. 

Drain the water and add them to a pot or pressure cooker &amp; pour 1½ cups water.

Pressure cook the chana until soft for 5 to 6 whistles on a medium heat. If using instant pot, pressure cook them for 18 minutes on high pressure setting. or If cooking in a pot add more water as needed.

When the pressure releases completely open the lid.&nbsp;

Check for doneness : Squeeze the chana and check it must be soft enough yet firm and not mushy.

Preparation for chana masala (skip if using canned)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Saute onions in oil until golden. Add ginger garlic &amp; saute for 1 minute.

Next add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle little salt. 

Saute until the tomatoes turn soft and the raw smell goes away.

Next add chili powder and turmeric. Cook till the raw smell of tomatoes and onions goes off. 

Cool this completely and blend it to a smooth paste.

Optional - To make a thicker gravy add 1 tbsp cooked chana to the mixture and blend to smooth with out water. 

Saute &amp; blend

Heat 2 tbsps oil and saute cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and cardamom for 30 to 60 seconds.

Optional - Add the fine chopped onions &amp; saute until they turn golden.

Next add the onion tomato paste, green chili, garam masala powder &amp; coriander powder.&nbsp;

Saute until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan &amp; turns fragrant.

Add the cooked chickpeas and then the stock (chana cooked water) as needed.&nbsp;

You may need to use up all. If needed pour little more water to bring it to a consistency.

Bring it to a boil &amp; simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.&nbsp;

Taste the gravy and add more garam masala and salt if needed. Cook further for another 2 to 3 mins.

Add kasuri methi and amchur (optional). Add chopped coriander leaves. Cover and set aside until served.

Chana masala is ready to serve with rice or roti, onion and lemon wedges.

How to make chana masala recipe

Roasted Chana in microwave. by Mamta Lokesh Lalwani. Browse recipes by occasion, ingredients, cuisine, festivals and more..

Roasted Chana in microwave.

boiled chickpeas

peanuts (roasted)

tsp sea salt

tsp Paprika/red chilli powder

tsp herbs

olive oil

First dry all the chickpeas with kitchen towel.Roast peanut in microwave for a min then remove from it's skin.

Add all ingredients in a bowl and toss them well.

Spread in a baking tray and bake for 25 -30 mins in microwave .convection mode.

This recipe has been slightly adapted from Jenny Rosenstrach's latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians. 
A few notes: 

I've been making this with these slow cooker chickpeas, which couldn't be simpler, and which are so tasty. If you don't have a slow cooker and want to cook the chickpeas from scratch, here's my guide. Of course, canned chickpeas are fine. I like the Goya brand.
The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It also suggests serving it with rice, so I have been making this coconut rice to serve along side. The coconut rice calls for 3/4 cup coconut milk, and so I have been reserving this amount for the rice and then using the rest of the can for the chickpeas. The extra coconut milk makes the dish a little richer, I suppose, but it certainly does not taste too rich or sweet.
Finally, the original recipe calls for stirring 1/4 cup of warm water into a teaspoon of miso and stirring this in at the end. If you have miso on hand, go for it! If you don't, don't run out and get it. The dish is plenty flavorful without it, especially if you add a splash more coconut milk, as noted above. 


Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes &amp; Kale

yellow

garlic,

ginger,

red pepper flakes

kosher salt and pepper

curry powder, I love Madras brand

tomato paste

chickpeas

tomatoes

kale

miso, optional, see notes above

(or more) unsweetened coconut milk

coconut rice, see notes above

naan

cilantro, optional

lime, optional

In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, pinch salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the curry powder, and stir, coating it in the aromatics and toasting it a bit, another 2 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring it into the curry-coated aromatics, and cook for another minute or until the red color darkens and it smells toasty. Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them in the curry mixture. Cook for another two minutes or until the chickpeas are evenly coated in the spices; then taste a chickpea for seasoning. Adjust accordingly if it needs more salt or pepper to taste. 

Add the tomatoes and water (or stock) and simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through. Add more water as needed if it looks too thick — chickpeas can absorb a ton of liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted. 

If using the miso, stir it into 1/4 cup warm water and add it to the skillet along with the coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. As noted above, I add more like 3/4 cup coconut milk and use another 3/4 cup coconut milk for this coconut rice. 

Serve with rice or naan, a lime wedge, and a sprinkle of cilantro, if you wish. 

This recipe looks delicious.
I don't have kale for now, do you think it will work with spinach instead?
Thanks

Thank you so much:)
The curry mixture imparts such a distinct flavor and I look forward trying your Madras Curry from Sun Brand.  I am currently using the Garam Masala from Burlap and Barrel and it is extraordinarily fresh and very authentic.

Another great vegetarian recipe! Vegan, actually. I thought the curry powder will be too much, but no, just the right amount. Added a little bit more miso and chard instead of kale. Will be happy to see more recipes from this book. Thank you!

Wow! This was easy and delicious! I used your slow cooker method to cook the beans. My beans were expired so I used boiling water to start them off…perfect results after only 3 hours! I saved the cooking water and used that in this recipe…saving the rest of the water for use in other recipes.  Cooking 1 lb. dried chickpeas makes TWO of this recipe…😉

Made the spicy chickpeas for dinner tonight and paired it with your coconut rice. Perfect combo! Used spinach instead of kale because that's what I had.  Such a yummy, easy dinner.  Served it with Fage yogurt on the side to cool it down a bit (I might have been too generous with the curry powder).  It will definitely be something I put on repeat.

So, so good (and fast)! We had this for dinner tonight, and I'm already excited about tomorrow's lunch.

thank you, I like greens for nutrition like kale or spinach, but too often too tasteless, so this certainly helps, thank you!

Delicious! Swapped spinach for kale- no one likes kale here.  So simple and quick to make.  Served with basmati rice and made some of Madhur Jaffrey's Indian onion relish for a spicy tangy topping.  Everyone loved it!

Easy. Pantry friendly. Wilting bag of spinach friendly. Delicious.  This one is a keeper.

I made these spicy chickpeas for dinner tonight. They were so delicious that my husband said he could eat them every day. Wonderful recipe. Thanks Ali, you are a genius. The soya bean paste combination is out of this world. I also added lots of kale from my garden, sprinkled lightly with lime juice and served over quinoa. Thanks a lot!

Wow, wow, wow! What flavor! I got a bit excited and added closer to a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. It’s definitely too spicy for my kids but I LOVE it. I didn’t have miso so I added the extra coconut milk. The sauce in the bottom of the bowl is drinkable! LOL. I was trying to avoid complex carbs during the week but I may have to make a quick loaf or try making naan to sop this up! We’re trying to go meat free a few times a week. This is a great recipe to add to the mix. 

This was so much more than the sum of its parts! Without the coconut milk the dish would have been an average tomato-y chickpea stew, but the addition of the coconut milk gives the sauce a creamy, silken texture. It is just phenomenal, even without the rice alongside. Thanks, Ali!

I liked this alot.  Misread the recipe and added a 28-oz can of fire roasted tomatoes - may have been why I couldn't taste the curry?  Or maybe not a good curry.  All outside my comfort zone, and well worth it.

Made this recently for a weeknight dinner and it was comforting after a long day. The miso and coconut milk are wonderful and perhaps lessen some of the kale's bitterness. Such a good use of the slow cooker chickpeas -- another recipe we make on repeat. Also love the step by step photos that you provide -- v helpful! Thank you, Alexandra! 

This has become my go to side when making a curry chicken dish. I always have spinach on hand so that’s what I use. We are fond of spice so I add a little more crushed chilies. Just delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

It was very easy to make and absolutely delicious. The entire family enjoyed it. 

So good! We didn't have tomato paste and I skipped the miso, but this was still excellent. Added about half a can of cocount milk because we like "sauce". Thanks for a great vegetarian dinner!

I had some home cooked chickpeas hanging out in the fridge and I saw you post this to IG a couple of days ago. Since my boys aren't fans of curry powder, I tried this with Thai red curry paste. I used about a tablespoon of Thai Kitchen paste. I also added Thai thin soy and mushroom soy as well as a squeeze of lime at the end. Served w Jasmine rice. This was a huge hit! Thanks for the inspiration!!

This was really good! I had everything on hand and it was finished in 10 minutes.

Can i use heavy cream instead of coconut milk?
love this site btw..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzvATOy6T7o

I have been loving these spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and kale, a new recipe from Jenny Rosenstrach's latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians.

Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Kale

Chana Paneer - A mixture of Chickpeas and cubes of Indian Paneer cheese with a blend of spices in a delicious flavoursome sauce.

Chana Paneer

ghee oil

(12.7 ounces) of paneer cheese,

onion,

(9 ounces) of butternut squash, grated

ginger root

cumin

coriander

Garam masala

Deggi Mirch

(240 milliliters) of vegetable stock

coriander (cilantro), chopped

Heat the ghee in a large frying pan...

Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Once the ghee is hot, add the paneer...

Once the ghee is hot, add the paneer and a pinch of salt and fry until golden all over, rotating pieces to get even colour.

Remove and set aside.

Add the onion and fry until lightly golden.

Add in the garlic, ginger, butternut squash and...

Add in the garlic, ginger, butternut squash and all the spices and cook until paste-like (add in a little drop of the stock to prevent any sticking if needed).

Add in the chopped tomatoes and stock, bring...

Add in the chopped tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes and then blend until roughly smooth.

Add the chickpeas and cooked paneer into the...

Add the chickpeas and cooked paneer into the sauce and continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Taste and season as needed with salt and...

Taste and season as needed with salt and stir in some chopped coriander (cilantro) - option.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Sundal is a delicious Indian chickpea salad made mainly during Navratri. This sundal/chundal recipe is protein-rich, vegan, and gluten-free. Make it in just 15 minutes.

Easy Sundal Recipe

coconut

green chillies

curry leaves

tbsp oil

mustard seeds

gluten-free asafoetida

turmeric powder

tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt

31 oz canned chickpeas

cilantro

Add coconut, curry leaves, and green chillies to a blender jar.

Blitz to make a coarse paste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed, while grinding. If using fresh coconut, you will not need any water. Keep this paste aside for now.

To make the coconut paste

Heat oil in a pan. Temper mustard seeds and gluten-free asafoetida.

Once the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the turmeric and red pepper flakes or 2 dried red chillies. Fry it for 15 seconds.

Now add the ground coconut paste along with salt. Mix and cook for a minute.

Then add the drained and rinsed canned chickpeas to the pan. Mix it all together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro or even chopped green mango and serve Chickpeas Sundal (hot or cold) as a snack or breakfast.

To make sundal

This Indian chickpea and spinach curry (chana saag) is so flavorful and incredibly easy to make too! It&#x27;s naturally gluten free and vegan and tastes even better the next day!

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

yellow onion, diced

tsp minced ginger

green chiles (e.g. serrano

curry powder

tsp coriander powder

cayenne pepper, more to taste

salt,

tomatoes, diced

29 oz can chickpeas (3 cups cooked), drained and rinsed

oz baby spinach

Pacific Foods Cashew Unsweetened Original Plant Based Beverage

Pacific Foods Vegetable Broth

lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large pot over...

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies and...

Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies and cook in for 1 minute, then addd the curry powder, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let cook for 30 seconds.

Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, cashew beverage, and...

Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, cashew beverage, and vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened and breaking down.

Add the spinach in batches, letting it wilt...

Add the spinach in batches, letting it wilt to fit before adding more. Once all spinach is added let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until spinach is very tender and flavors have melded.

Turn off heat and add in lemon juice....

Turn off heat and add in lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice as desired. Serve garnished with minced chili peppers, cilantro, lemon wedges on the side for extra citrus, and basmati rice.

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The most viewed chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Top 6 chana recipes from across the web

The most viewed chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chana Masala

Roasted Chana in microwave.

Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes &amp;...

Chana Paneer

Easy Sundal Recipe

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

The most viewed chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes &...