Chana masala (also known as chole masala) is a spicy Pakistani meal consisting of chickpeas in a tomato-onion stew served with naan, roti, or rice. In just 30 minutes, you can make this delicious one-pot chana masala recipe. It's gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oil-free if you want it to be.
Chana masala is a Pakistani dish made with chickpeas (chana) and a spicy sauce (masala). It's the typical Punjabi vegetarian dish, and it's served in restaurants all over the world. In Pakistan, chana masala can be found on the menu of a dhaba, or roadside cafe, as well as an elite restaurant or a home kitchen. (Laal Lobia Recipe)
In just 30 minutes, you can make this delectable restaurant-style dish. It's gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oil-free if you want it to be.
| Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins |
| Total Time: 30 mins | Servings: 8 People |
1 teaspoon oil (vegetable) (to make this without oil, use 2 tablespoon vegetable stock).
1 tblsp cumin powder.
2 cardamom pods (black) (these have a rich flavour so start by using 1, if you wish, the first time you make this recipe)..
a single bay leaf.
1 onion, medium (finely chopped).
1 tbsp. garlic and ginger paste.
chickpeas, 3 cups (cooked or canned).
3 tomatoes (medium) (pureed).
1 tablespoon coriander powder.
1 teaspoon cumin powder.
paprika, 2 tblsp.
1 tablespoon powdered chana masala.
2 tablespoons coriander (finely chopped).
Season with salt to taste.
Just follow these simple steps to make delicious Chana Masala at home.
In a skillet or saute pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Add the black cardamom pods and bay leaf as soon as they start to darken, which should just take a few seconds. Add the onions after a few seconds of cooking.
If you don't want to use any oil, dry roast the cumin seeds, cardamom, and bay leaf. After that, add the water and move on to step 2.
Season with salt and cook the onions over medium heat until they begin to brown. Sauté for a few seconds after adding the ginger garlic paste.
Toss in the tomato puree and stir well. Combine the coriander powder, cumin powder (if using), and paprika in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for approximately five minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have darkened in colour.
Add the chickpeas. Stir in roughly a cup of water after that. The chana masala should have a thick consistency. Wait until after the next step if you wish to thin it out.
Toss in the chickpeas. Stir in roughly a cup of water after that. The chana masala should have a thick consistency. Wait until after the next step if you wish to thin it out.
Bring the chana masala to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and cook for 10 minutes. Make sure there's enough liquid in the saucepan by stirring a couple of times in between.
Using the back of the ladle, crush some of the chickpeas. This will also aid in the thickening of the sauce. If you want to thin out the chana masala even more, add extra water at this point.
Add the chana masala powder and mix well. If necessary, season with salt. Add the cilantro and mix well.
This dish can be made with either dried or canned chickpeas, with little difference in flavour. Because there are no preservatives in dried chickpeas, they are always the best choice, and an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, if you have one, makes cooking chickpeas, even unsoaked chickpeas, a breeze.
However, the convenience of canned chickpeas is unrivalled. If you're using canned chickpeas, drain off any brine that has stuck to them to ensure the flavour isn't tainted.
In Pakistan, chana masala is usually served with a bhatura, a fried, puffy bread similar to a poori but larger. You only need to make pooris. I also like to serve the poori-chana with a curry of potatoes.
Rice is also a great side dish for chana masala. The curry can be served with basmati rice, either plain white or brown basmati rice. It's also good with a side of fragrant cumin rice.
Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 752IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg | Vitamin A: 752IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg