Authentic Chana Masala Recipe (Chickpea Curry)

white bowl with a chickpea curry topped with cilantro microgreens.

5 from 2 votes

Authentic Chana Masala Recipe (Chickpea Curry)

Warm spices, a rich sauce, and tender chickpeas all blend together in this flavorful, one-pot Authentic Chana Masala Recipe (Chickpea Curry)

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: chana masala, halwa puri, punjabi chole

Servings: people

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas
¼ cup cooking oil (SEE NOTES)
2 serrano chilies (SEE NOTES)
2 tsp panch phoron spice blend
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 onion (SEE NOTES)
2 tbsp tomato paste (SEE NOTES)
2 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
¼ cup cilantro

Instructions

Dice the onions and chop the serrano chillies.
Heat the cooking oil and sauté the onions and chilies in it for 30 seconds.
Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the panch phoron and sauté it for 30 seconds.
Once the onion is translucent, drain and rinse the chick peas and add them to the pan.
Add in the tomato paste and ¼ cup of water and stir to mix well.
Add all of the remaining spices along with the remaining water, stir and cover.
Cook on low for 10 minutes.
Uncover, mash the chickpeas slightly to blend with all of the other ingredients, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes (SEE NOTES)
Uncover and garnish with chopped cilantro or cilantro microgreens and serve.

Notes

The Cooking Oil - Use any neutral oil of your choice. I like both avocado and canola best but sunflower and grapeseed are great choices as well.

The Serrano Chillies - I like to use serrano chillies but they are on the spicy side. You can swap them out for jalapenos or deseed them if you like your curry less spicy.

The Onion - I would recommend a medium yellow onion for the curry. I use these for most of my cooking as they are mild in taste and not too sweet.

The Tomato Paste - while I like to use fresh tomatoes in most curries , the tomato paste here adds a rich taste and helps cook the curry quickly.

Mashing The Chickpeas - This step is important in order for the curry to be smooth and rich. Just use the back of your spoon to slightly smash the chickpeas, stir and cook some more. The starch that is released thickens the curry and helps dry out the excess moisture. In the event that the curry gets too thick, keep some water on hand and just splash a little bit at a time (as necessary). This will help keep the pan deglazed and the tomato sauce and spices from sticking to the bottom.

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