Ingredients
Kabuli Chana (White Chickpeas): I strongly recommend starting with Riwayat White Chickpeas.
Onion-tomato: like a lot of Indian dishes, the base of this dish (masala) is also made with onions & tomatoes. There’s also garlic-ginger and green chilies to add to the depth of flavors.
Whole & ground spices: this recipe uses a bunch of spices. Whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns make the chana masala so fragrant and the ground spices like coriander, paprika, garam masala add to the flavor of the curry.
Tomato paste: I like using a bit of tomato paste to really enhance that tomato flavor. If you don’t have it, you may skip it.
This easy and simple Chana Masala is made using Riwayat White Chickpeas which are soaked overnight and then cooked with onion, tomatoes, and spices.
This popular Indian dish is vegan and gluten-free and pairs well with rice or naan.
Chana Masala needs no introduction. It is one of the most popular Indian dishes, whether it’s in India or in the western world.
Step by Step Instructions
1- Soak 1 cup white chickpeas (200 grams) overnight in 3 cups (24 oz) of water. In the morning, drain the water and transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 to 2.5 cups (16 oz-20 oz) water. After soaking overnight, the volume of chickpeas increased to 2.5 cups (425 grams)!
Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes with natural pressure release.
Stove-top pressure cooker: cook on high heat for 2 whistles, then lower heat to medium and cook for additional 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
2- Once pressure is cooked, the chickpeas will break easily when pressed between your thumb and index finger.
If using canned chickpeas, you can skip these steps, use 2.5 cups canned chickpeas and directly move to cook the chana masala in the pot.
3- Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger, garlic, and green chili. Set it aside.
4- Heat a pot/pan over medium heat on the stove-top. Once hot, add the oil and then add the whole spices- bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cumin seeds.
Let the spices sizzle for 30 seconds and become fragrant.
5- Add the finely chopped onion and stir. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions soften. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt here so that onions cook a little faster. Meanwhile, puree 2 tomatoes using a blender and set them aside.
6- Add the crushed ginger garlic and green chili. Stir and cook for a minute or two until the raw smell of the ginger garlic goes away.
7- Add the pureed tomatoes along with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often.
8- Then add the ground spices- coriander powder, cumin powder, paprika, turmeric, and garam masala.
9- Cook the spices for 30 seconds. The oil should ooze out of the sides of the masala at this point.
10- Stir in the boiled chickpeas and mix. Also, add 2 cups of water and stir. I used the same water in which the chickpeas were boiled. You can add more water here if you prefer more gravy in your chana masala.
Taste test and adjust the salt at this point, I added 1/8 teaspoon more salt here.
11- Cover the pot with a lid, set heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mix in.
12- Stir in crushed Kasuri methi and chopped cilantro. Garnish with more cilantro and serve Chana Masala hot. You may also squeeze some fresh lemon juice if desired before serving.
