How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala?

27 May How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala?

Last Updated on July 27, 2021 by blessmyfoodbypayal

How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala with step wise pictorial and video recipe.

Naturally Vegan and Glutenfree, chana masala is an onion tomato based delicious curry made using chickpeas/Garbanzo beans.

ABOUT CHANA MASALA CURRY

Chana is the Hindi word for chickpeas and Masala signifies “Mix-spiced”.

And “Curry” you know very well.

CHANA or CHANE (plural) also called by the names chole and Kabuli chana &  the most common legume made in northern part of India.

It is germane to mention here that there’s one more legume having the same name but that is black (deep brown) in colour and called by the name “Kala Chana/Black chickpeas”.

Please note that this post is regarding Safed Chana/(white)Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans/Kabuli chana.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE CANNED CHICKPEAS?

Absolutely Yes.

You can comfortably use canned chickpeas and they don’t require overnight soaking and boiling.

Heaped half cup of dried beans is equal to one 15-oz can of beans. So if you are making this recipe with canned beans, you need to have two 15-oz cans.

CAN I USE CHOPPED ONION AND TOMATOES INSTEAD OF PASTE & PUREE?

Onion paste and tomato puree gives a smooth, soft and thick base to the gravy of chickpeas, so we always prefer to add both these ingredients in the said form.

But that’s not a binding for you. You can add roughly chopped onion and tomatoes and cook them till they turn soft and mushy.

WHY DRY CHICKPEAS NEED TO BE SOAKED?

Chickpeas (or most of the legumes) are soaked mainly for 2 reasons :

One, chickpeas being hard, take much time in cooking. Pre-soaking makes them absorb water, which causes them to swell and soften, hence it reduces the cooking time too.

But 2nd reason is more important than the first point, especially with health point of view.

Soaking makes chickpeas more digestible and prevents gas and bloating.

So this is always and highly recommended that legumes must be soaked before Cooking.

IF I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO SOAK?

Chickpeas need almost 8 to 12 hours of soaking.

But for any reason you don’t have this much of time in hand, then you can use a shortcut method.

Take some hot water and add baking soda in it.

Add the chickpeas to them and let them remain soaked just for 1 hour.

Baking soda will cause the chickpeas to soften much more rapidly.

But the use of baking soda is recommended if you failed to chickpeas overnight and hardly have much time in hand.

Otherwise, for overnight soaking, there’s no need of baking soda because the water tends to work just fine.

CAN I COOK CHICKPEAS WITHOUT SOAKING?

Although soaking is advisable for the reasons already stated but that doesn’t mean that without soaking, you can not cook chickpeas at all.

You just start the cooking process but do note, cooking is going to take longer time, almost double the time if you had soaked them first.

As the cooking time expands, obviously quantity of water too needs to be enhanced.

STEP WISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS (see notes below)

1. Wash chickpeas and add water to them.
2. Also add a tsp of salt.
3. Put a lid and let chickpeas remain soaked overnight or 8 hours.

COOKING CHANA MASALA IN STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER

BOILING OF CHICKPEAS

1. In the morning/after 8 hours, drain the water from the chickpeas.
2. Add chickpeas to the pressure cooker. If you have Instant pot, see the next part of recipe below.
3. Add garlic, ginger, salt and water.
4. Put a lid on and Pressure cook for 7-8 whistles or until chickpeas turn soft. Keep aside to release the pressure from cooker on its own.

COOKING OF CHICKPEAS

1. Take oil in a pan. If you are using mustard oil, it needs to be smoked first.
2. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Let cumin splutter.
3. Add green chillies after splitting them.
4. Now add onion paste.
5. Cook it on moderate heat while stirring.  After couple of minutes, onion paste will turn dry and pink.
6. Add tomato puree. Saute.
7. Also add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix and keep stirring occasionally.
8. After couple of minutes, tomato puree will begin to leave the sides of the pan, which means tomatoes are cooked.
9. Transfer chickpeas, along with water, to the pan.
10. Using the back side of ladle, mash some of the chickpeas. This step will thicken the gravy.
11. Finally add roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves/cilantro.
12. Chana masala is ready.

Enjoy hot

COOKING CHANA MASALA IN INSTANT POT

1. Heat oil on saute mode (high).
2. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and wait for cumin them to sizzle.
3. Then add green chillies, grated ginger and crushed garlic. You can use ginger garlic paste too. Saute them for a minute.
4. Add onion paste and tomato puree and saute for 4-5 minutes.
5. Time to add spices, which includes red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt coriander powder and garam masala.
6. Drain water from chickpeas and add about 2 cups of fresh water.
7. Close the lid and set manual pressure for 30 minutes.
8. After pressure cooking is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally.
9. Mash a few beans using the back side of ladle or potato masher. This gives a creamy texture to the curry.
10. Finally top with some roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves/cilantro.

Serve hot.

NOTES

1. Heaped half cup of dried beans is equal to one 15-oz can of beans. So if you are making this recipe with canned beans, you need to have two 15-oz cans.
2. Avoid the process of soaking and boiling if using canned chickpeas.
3. If the gravy is too watery, boil chickpeas until they reach the desired consistency. On the contrary, if gravy is too thick, add some boiling water and cook for a minute. 
4. There’s a ready made Masala with the name “Chana Masala” is easily available in the market/Indian grocery stores. You can add a teaspoon of masala to enhance the flavors.

ALSO SEE

• No oil chickpeas recipe
• Pindi chole recipe
• Chana Madra
• Rajma masala
• Anardane wale Rajma
• Quick black eyed peas recipe

How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala – recipe card

How to make Chickpea Curry Chana masala

blessmyfoodbypayal

Naturally Vegan and Glutenfree, learn here how to make chickpea curry chana masala, which is an onion tomato based delicious curry made using chickpeas/Garbanzo beans.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Soaking time 8 hours hrs

Course Curry, Main Course

Cuisine North Indian

Servings 4

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
• Pan/Kadai

Ingredients

  

1 cup = 200 ml

FOR SOAKING CHICKPEAS

• 1 cup white chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
• water for washing
• Water for soaking
• 1 tsp Salt

FOR BOILING CHICKPEAS (In Pressure cooker method)

• Soaked chickpeas water drained
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ginger grated
• 4-5 Garlic cloves
• 4 cup water

FOR COOKING CHICKPEAS

• Boiled chickpeas with water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Small piece of cinnamon
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies
• 1 cup onion paste
• 1 cup Tomato puree
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder roasted
• 1 tbsp Coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish

Instructions

 

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS (see notes below)

• Wash and add water to chickpeas.
• Also add a tsp of salt.
• Put a lid and let chickpeas remain soaked overnight or 8 hours.

COOKING CHANA MASALA IN STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER

BOILING OF CHICKPEAS

• In the morning/after 8 hours, drain the water from the chickpeas.
• Add chickpeas to the pressure cooker. If you have Instant pot, see the next part of recipe below.
• Add garlic, ginger, salt and water.
• Put a lid on and Pressure cook for 7-8 whistles or until chickpeas turn soft. Keep aside to release the pressure from cooker on its own.

COOKING OF CHICKPEAS

• Take oil in a pan. If you are using mustard oil, it needs to be smoked first.
• Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Let cumin splutter.
• Add green chillies after splitting them.
• Now add onion paste.
• Cook it on moderate heat while stirring.  After couple of minutes, onion paste will turn dry and pink.
• Add tomato puree. Saute.
• Also add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix and keep stirring occasionally.
• After couple of minutes, tomato puree will begin to leave the sides of the pan, which means tomatoes are cooked.
• Transfer chickpeas, along with water, to the pan.
• Using the back side of ladle, mash some of the chickpeas. This step will thicken the gravy.
• Finally add roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves/cilantro.
• Chana masala is ready.
• Enjoy hot

COOKING CHANA MASALA IN INSTANT POT

• Heat oil on saute mode (high).
• Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and wait for cumin them to sizzle.
• Then add green chillies, grated ginger and crushed garlic. You can use ginger garlic paste too. Saute them for a minute.
• Add onion paste and tomato puree and saute for 4-5 minutes.
• Time to add spices, which includes red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt coriander powder and garam masala.
• Drain water from chickpeas and add about 2 cups of fresh water.
• Close the lid and set manual pressure for 30 minutes.
• After pressure cooking is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally.
• Mash a few beans using the back side of ladle or potato masher. This gives a creamy texture to the curry.
• Finally top with some roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves/cilantro.
• Serve hot.

Notes

1. Heaped half cup of dried beans is equal to one 15-oz can of beans. So if you are making this recipe with canned beans, you need to have two 15-oz cans.
2. Avoid the process of soaking and boiling if using canned chickpeas.
3. If the gravy is too watery, boil chickpeas until they reach the desired consistency. On the contrary, if gravy is too thick, add some boiling water and cook for a minute. 
4. There's a ready made Masala with the name "Chana Masala" is easily available in the market/Indian grocery stores. You can add a teaspoon of masala to enhance the flavors.

Keyword Chana Masala curry, chole masala, indian chickpea recipe