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’s naturally gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, packed with protein and loads of nutrients, and is so delicious that even meat lovers won’t miss the meat!
This is a vegetarian dish even avid meat lovers will enjoy. It’s filling and has such a robust depth of flavor you won’t even miss the meat! For this Chana Masala recipe we’re going to take the extra step of roasting the garbanzo beans for even MORE flavor!
Several years ago when I was boiling chickpeas I had left to soak overnight for making Chana Masala I started thinking about….meat. And the amazing thing that happens to the flavor of meat when it’s seared brown in a hot skillet and then left to slowly cook.  And it occurred to me, why not do the same with these chickpeas?  I had never heard of that being done before as part of preparation for being cooked in a sauce-based dish but the idea amused me and so I gave it a whirl and was really happy with the results.
I heated up some ghee in my Dutch oven and fried the drained chickpeas in batches until they were lightly browned on all sides. Then I browned the onions, toasted and ground some whole spices and added those along with a few other ingredients, and before long my chickpeas were slowly simmering in a rich sauce that flooded my home with the most delicious smell.  Lifting the lid occasionally to give the curry a stir was a welcome task, because every time I lifted it another dose of that heavenly fragrance would come wafting out. But whether you decide to take that step of roasting the chickpeas or not, this Chana Masala recipe is a total winner nonetheless!
This is a vegetarian dish even avid meat lovers will enjoy. It’s filling and has such a robust depth of flavor you won’t even miss the meat!
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.
What to Serve with Chana Masala
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:Â 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.
- 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.
Why Should I Grind My Own Spices?
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.
Here are some spice blends utilizing whole spices in case you’re looking for ways to use up your bulk supply:
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
- Za’atar
- Dukkah
- Chili Powder
- Berbere
- Baharat
- Panch Phoron
- Chinese Five Spice
Chana Masala Recipe
Let’s get started!
If you prefer not to take the extra step to roast your chickpeas simple skip this step.
Ghee is a great choice for high heat cooking and is a staple in Indian cuisine. Â Unless you’re vegan, I highly recommend ghee over oil for its flavor.
Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot and fry the garbanzo beans in batches until lightly browned.
While the beans and frying, prepare the spices. Â 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. Â Let the spices cool and transfer them to a spice grinder. Â I use and love my Krups Spice and Coffee Grinder.
Grind the spices to a fine powder and set aside until ready to use. Â This can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container to retain its freshness.
Transfer the browned garbanzo beans to a bowl. Â Add some more ghee to the pan and then fry the onions for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Â 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. Â Add the chickpeas, broth, salt and bay leaves, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Â Add more broth if the curry becomes too dry. Â 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 our:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Egg Curry
- Butter Chicken
- Tandoor Chicken
- Eggplant Curry
- Chicken Xacuti
- Balti Chicken
- Saag Gosht
- Masoor Dal
- Indian Broccoli with Paneer
- Mango Chutney
- Mango Lassi
- Dosa
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 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans).
- 2 tablespoons ghee vegan: use oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 green chili pepper seeds and membrane discarded, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth vegetarian/vegan: use vegetable
- 1 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Spice mixture:
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon seeds from green cardamom pods
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 small whole cinnamon stick
Instructions
- To cook the garbanzo beans, add them to a pot of lightly salted water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender but still has some bite to it (be careful not to overcook or the beans will be mushy). Set aside until ready to use.
- 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.
- Heat the ghee in a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot and lightly brown the garbanzo beans in batches (be careful not to scorch the beans or they will be bitter). Set aside. (This step is optional but it adds more depth of flavor.)
- Add a little more ghee 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 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, 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
Addie says
So sorry, I meant Kimberly – got you confused with another recipe queen!
Kimberly Killebrew says
No problem at all, Addie, I can totally relate! :)
Addie says
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.)
Kimberly Killebrew says
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! :)
Joyce says
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.)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
jennifer says
Hi Kimberly, it’s me again :) Is there a huge difference between using canned garbanzo versus dried?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, in this case not so much. Hummus, yes.
Caty says
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?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Austin says
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
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Cori Landon says
Oooh, this looks and sounds so good!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s really yummy, Cori – great depth of flavor!
ASH says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
jesusan says
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…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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 :)