Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
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The ever popular Indian dish featuring tender garbanzo beans in a rich, fragrant, and deliciously flavorful sauce! This authentic Chana Masala recipe is filling enough to serve as a main dish or can be served as part of a larger Indian meal. It is so flavorful and satisfying that even devout carnivores won’t miss the meat! It’s naturally gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, packed with protein, loads of nutrients and is thoroughly delicious!
What is Chana Masala?
Chana Masala is a popular North Indian dish made with chickpeas (chana) that are cooked in a fragrant and flavorful sauce with onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chili peppers and a wide host of spices. It’s commonly eaten with rice, roti, or naan. It is naturally gluten free and vegetarian/vegan and is equally popular among non-vegetarians.
It is believed to have originated in the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh regions of northern India and has since spread throughout the the Indian sub-continent. It has become deeply ingrained in Indian culture and is a staple dish in both households and restaurants alike.
Chana Masala Ingredients: Spices
As always,I highly recommend using whole spices and grinding them yourself. Why? Because it will forever change your life! No seriously though, there is NO comparison between store-bought ground spices and taking whole spices, then toasting the grinding them yourself. If you’ve spent any time looking through my recipes you’ll know that I push using whole spices. Spices have natural oils in them and those oils are where the flavor is. When the spices are ground those oils evaporate quickly, leaving your ground spices with increasingly less flavor over time. Pre-ground spices from the store have already been sitting around for months and have lost much of their potency.
In contrast, when you take whole spices, toast them, grind them, and use them immediately or within a short period of time, their flavor is FAR more potent and vibrant. If you want to achieve optimal flavor I really can’t overstate how important it is to use whole spices – it’s simply a must. It makes ALL the difference. And don’t worry about buying larger quantities of whole spices, concerned that they’re going to go to waste. If you regularly cook dishes from around the world you’ll go through these spices in no time. And keep in mind too that storing the whole spices in airtight jars in a dark, cool place, they’ll last much longer than pre-ground spices.
Alternatively, if you’ve already made my homemade Curry Powder (which is likewise made from scratch with whole spices that are toasted and ground), you can substitute 3 tablespoons of that for the “Spice Blend” in the recipe. If you use a store-bought curry powder instead, make sure it’s a really good one.
What to Serve with Chickpea Curry
There are a number of dishes you can serve with chana masala. The goal is to have a combination of starches, bread, and fresh/refreshing accompaniments that will enhance the dining experience. Here are a few ideas:
- Rice: Steamed Basmati rice or Jeera rice (rice flavored with cumin seeds) are commonly served with Chana Masala. The fluffy rice helps absorb the flavors of the spicy gravy.
- Roti, Naan, Bhatura, Poori, Chapati: Any of these Indian breads make a great accompaniment to Chana Masala.
- Salad: A fresh salad, whether a leafy green salad or a simple cucumber or tomato salad, provides a refreshing and welcome contrast to the rich and spicy Chana Masala.
- Cucumber Raita: This refreshing yogurt-based side dish helps to cool down the spiciness of Chana Masala.
- Pickles and Chutneys: These are welcome at any Indian-themed table. Mango chutney, mint chutney, mango pickle, etc, add tangy and complex flavors that add interest and variety.
Chana Masala Recipe
Let’s get started!
Heat a small, heavy skillet over medium heat and dry roast the whole spices for 3-4 minutes or until they become very fragrant, gently shaking the pan regularly to prevent scorching. Let the spices cool and transfer them to a spice grinder. I use and love my Krups Spice and Coffee Grinder.
Grind the spices to a fine powder and set aside until ready to use. This can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container to retain its freshness.
Add some more ghee to a Dutch oven or heavy pot and fry the onions for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger and chopped chilies and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the ground spices, turmeric and asafoetida, and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomatoes and ketchup and cook for 5 minutes. Add the soaked chickpeas, broth, salt and bay leaves, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are nice and tender, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if the curry becomes too dry. Add salt to taste.
Stir in the cilantro and simmer for another minute.
Serve immediately or the following day after the flavors have had more time to meld (it’s even better the next day). Serve with some fresh naan bread, steamed jasmine rice, and a cool cucumber or leafy green salad. See above for more serving recommendations.
Enjoy!
For more delicious Indian recipes be sure to try my:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Egg Curry
- Butter Chicken
- Tandoor Chicken
- Eggplant Curry
- Dal Palak
- Chicken Xacuti
- Balti Chicken
- Saag Gosht
- Masoor Dal
- Indian Broccoli with Paneer
- Mango Chutney
- Mango Lassi
- Dosa
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Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans soaked in a pot of water overnight (covered by at least 3 inches of water), then rinsed and drained. Equivalent to about 3 1/2 cans (15 oz each) of garbanzo beans.
- 2 tablespoons ghee vegan: use oil of choice
- 1 large yellow onion , chopped
- 1 green chili pepper , seeds and membrane discarded, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes , diced
- 2 tablespoons natural ketchup (can substitute tomato paste with 1/2 teaspoon sugar)
- 4 cups chicken broth (vegetarian/vegan: use vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Spice Blend:
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- OR 3 tablespoons Homemade Curry Powder (alternatively you can substitute the whole spices in the Spice Blend for 3 tablespoons of my homemade curry powder. If you use store-bought make sure it's a really good one)
Instructions
- To make the spice blend: Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat and add all the whole spices. Toast for 3-4 minutes or until the spices become very fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely, then transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
- Add the ghee to a Dutch oven or heavy pot and cook the onions until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and green chili and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground spice mixture (or curry powder alternative if using) along with the turmeric and asafoetida and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and ketchup and cook for another 5 minutes.Add the chickpeas, broth, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are nice and tender, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if the curry gets too dry. Add salt to taste. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for another minute.
- Serve immediately or the following day after the flavors have had more time to meld (it's even better the next day). Serve with some fresh naan bread, jasmine rice, and a cool cucumber or leafy green salad.Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 4, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
So sorry, I meant Kimberly – got you confused with another recipe queen!
No problem at all, Addie, I can totally relate! :)
Hi, Katrin – can I sub fenugreek leaves for the seeds? Also, can I make this ahead and freeze it for when I have UK visitors near the end of August? (We are traveling during the previous three weeks.)
Hi Addie, absolutely, you can use fenugreek leaves instead. And yes, chana masala freezes well. Happy cooking, happy traveling, and I hope you enjoy the meal with your guests! :)
Hi Kimberly, thanks fo much for this recipe, this centainly is a devine dish. Made it yesterday and it was delicious untill the last spoon! One thing was not clear to me though… one of the pictures show the beans being cooked in the curry, but the instructions only tell to ‘put the beans in a bowl’ but don’t tell when to add them to the curry. (I’ve put the beans and curry together right before serving, by the way.)
I’m so thrilled to hear that it was a hit, Joyce, thank you! Yes, the chickpeas are cooked in the curry. Thanks also for catching that, it’s been updated.
Hi Kimberly, it’s me again :) Is there a huge difference between using canned garbanzo versus dried?
Hi Jennifer, in this case not so much. Hummus, yes.
Made it last night and it was delicious! I did guess at the spices as I didn’t see any measurements. Recommendations for next time?
Hi Caty, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I apologize that you had to guess at the spice quantities, somehow those didn’t get added in – they are now listed.
Hey Kimberley, I’ve been hoping for ages that you would put up a vegetarian curry dish and then you put this little beauty up! I definitely want to try this recipe but it doesn’t say how of each spice I should have for the spice mixture. Can you add that in? Thanks
Fantastic, Austin! Yes, for the spice quantities scroll down to the very bottom of the post and you’ll see the actual recipe box with the list of ingredients and instructions. Happy cooking!
Hi Austin, it’s me again :) You are so right – somehow the spice quantities didn’t get added into the recipe box. They are now listed. Happy cooking!
Oooh, this looks and sounds so good!!
It’s really yummy, Cori – great depth of flavor!
I am Indian and grew up with this dish. I just wanted to add that the spices can be made in bulk and kept in air tight containers for much, much longer. :) Enjoy!
Hi Ash, they can be kept longer ground but they will lose their potency. Ideally freshly roasted and ground spices should be used within 3-4 days for maximum flavor.
This dish sounds wonderful – I love Indian flavors. But I can guarantee that I would make it without the Asafoetida – I bought some once, many years ago, and I could not contain the odor, which I found extremely unpleasant. When I put it in a glass jar, the smell leaked out through the glass. I don’t have the courage to try it again…
Haha, yes I remember, Susan! Gosh, I’m telling you, it must have been a really weird or bad batch or something because that just doesn’t sound right at all. Still, if you don’t have the courage to ever try it again, that’s okay because using it isn’t a must :)