• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ministry of Curry logo

  • SHOP
    • The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Amazon Store
    • eBooks
    • Cooking Classes
    • Meal Plans
  • RESOURCES
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Indian Cooking Tools
    • Cooking 101
    • Essential Indian Spices
    • Guide to Beans and Lentils
    • Holiday Shopping Guide
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Oven Recipes
    • Stove Top Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Salad
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Vegan
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • Cooking Classes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Stove Top Recipes

    Authentic Chana Masala

    Published: Jun 12, 2023 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 26 Comments

    427 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Chana Masala is a popular North Indian dish with tender chickpeas cooked in warming spices in lightly caramelized onion and tangy tomato sauce. A restaurant-favorite dish that is simple to make at home. Serve with steamed rice and raita for a hearty plant-based meal.

    Chana masala in pan

    The recipe was originally posted in March 2016 and has been updated with new photos, a video, variations, and tips.

    This is one of the very first recipes I published when I started blogging. This was also one of the most requested recipes when I taught Indian cooking classes as it is so easy to make and results in a satisfying and flavorful dish. The class also enjoyed the process of roasting whole spices and grinding them for the most aromatic and flavorful spice blend.

    Over the years I have cooked Chana Masala so many times as it is a family favorite dinner recipe served with homemade parathas. It is also my go-to dish when I am entertaining and for potlucks. A sure-shot crowd-pleaser that can be easily adjusted to different spice levels and dietary restrictions. Make it vegan by simply using oil instead of ghee. If you like gluten-free recipes, this curry is a must-try as it is naturally gluten-free. Simply pair it with rice for a satisfying whole meal or with gluten-free Indian bread like the Jowar Roti or the Bajra Roti.

    Jump to:
    • What is Chana Masala
    • Ingredients For Chana Masala
    • How to Make Chana Masala
    • Serving
    • Storing
    • Tips & Variations
    • More Indian Chickpea Recipes
    • More EASY Indian Dinner Ideas
    • Recipe

    What is Chana Masala

    A popular North Indian curry - Chana(chickpeas) Masala(spiced sauce) is also known as Chickpea Curry or Chole. A staple dish in many Indian households, chana masala used pantry-friendly ingredients like dried or canned chickpeas and a few basic spices and aromatics. In addition to this traditional stove top version I also have Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe that is simple to make.

    Steamed rice and chana masala served in a white bowl with pickled onions

    Ingredients For Chana Masala

    • Chickpeas - I use dry chickpeas also known as Kabuli Chana for this recipe that has been soaked in water and pressure cooked. When short on time, canned chickpeas work equally well too. Chickpeas are a good source of fiber and proteins.
    • Aromatics - finely diced yellow onion, along with fresh ginger paste and garlic paste makes for a perfect base for this curry.
    • Tomatoes - fresh plum or Roma tomatoes add a tangy flavor and vibrant red color to the curry. You can also use canned tomatoes if you do not have fresh tomatoes.
    • Chana Masala Spice Blend - homemade chana masala spice mix adds earthy flavors and perfect heat to this dish. While it is easy to make at home, you can also use your favorite store-bought chana masala powder.
    • Other spices - bay leaf and Kasoori methi add depth of flavor and makes the curry taste just like the one served at Indian restaurants that we all love!

    How to Make Chana Masala

    • Soak dry chickpeas in water for 8-10 hours or overnight and pressure cook them until soft. I sometimes pressure cook them with a tea bag to give the dish a rich smoky flavor and deep color. Teabag can be discarded once the chickpeas are cooked. You can also use rinsed and drained canned chickpeas.
    photos one through four showing how to soak and cook dry chickpeas
    • Heat ghee in a medium skillet. Add bay leaf, onions, and sauté on medium-high heat until it turns golden brown. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chili. Mix well and cook for another minute.
    • Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring a few times until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
    photos five through eight showing how to saute aromatics and tomatoes for chana masala
    • Mix well with chana masala spice blend, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder.
    • Add boiled chickpeas and salt to taste.  Add one cup of water(more or less) to bring the curry to your desired consistency. Occasionally I also add cubed boiled potato to this dish.
    • You can add more spice blend if you want spicier chana masala.
    • Simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with Kasoori methi and cilantro.
    photos nine through twelve showing how to cook chana masala

    Serving

    Serve chana masala with parathas or roti with a side of cucumber raita and pickled onions. You can also serve it with basmati rice or jeera rice for a delicious gluten-free meal.

    chana masala in a white bowl

    Storing

    Chana masala makes for a great meal prep. Make a big batch and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for 2 to 3 months, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

    Tips & Variations

    • Used two 15 oz cans of chickpeas in place of dry chickpeas if you are short on time. Make sure to rinse and drain them well.
    • 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes can be used in place of fresh tomatoes
    • Add 1 medium-sized boiled, peeled, and cubed red, russet, or sweet potato along with the chickpeas
    • Add two big handfuls of chopped spinach just before adding the garnish

    More Indian Chickpea Recipes

    1. Instant Pot Chana Saag
    2. Curried Spinach and Chickpeas
    3. Instant Pot Chickpea Biryani
    4. Instant Pot Easy Chana Masala 
    5. Masala Chickpea Burgers

    More EASY Indian Dinner Ideas

    • Pav Bhaji
    • Paneer Kathi Rolls
    • Vegetable Biryani
    • Misal Pav

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    Chana Masala
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.45 from 18 votes

    Chana Masala

    Make restaurant style Chana Masala at home with this easy recipe.   
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time50 minutes mins
    Soaking Time8 hours hrs
    Total Time9 hours hrs
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 147kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    Pressure cooking dry chickpeas

    • 1 cup dry chickpeas See notes for canned chickpeas
    • 4 cups water divided
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 black tea bag optional

    Other Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons ghee
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
    • 2 teaspoons ginger paste
    • 2 teaspoons garlic paste
    • 1 green chilli slit in the middle, optional
    • 2 plum tomatoes finely diced
    • ¼ teaspooon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons chana masala spice blend add more to taste (see notes)
    • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup water

    Garnish

    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon kasoori methi

    Instructions

    • Soak white chickpeas in 2 cups of water overnight or for 8-10 hours. Drain out all the water.
    • Add chickpeas along with 2 cups of water and salt. Pressure cook for 35 minutes followed by natural pressure release. (Note: Optionally, add a tea bag to give the dish a rich smoky flavor and deep color. Discard once the chickpeas are cooked)
    • Heat ghee in a medium skillet. Add bay leaf and onions. Sauté on medium heat until the onions turn light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a lid to speed up cooking while mixing in the onions frequently. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chili. Mix well and cook for another minute.
    • Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring a few times until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
    • Mix well with chana masala spice blend, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder. Add boiled chickpeas along with the water from pressure cooking. Add one cup of water(more or less) to bring the curry to your desired consistency.
    • Simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with Kasoori methi and cilantro. Serve with steamed basmati rice or paratha.

    Video

    Notes

    Using Canned Chickpeas
    • Skip steps 1 and 2  if using canned chickpeas. Simply add two (15 oz) cans of rinsed and drained chickpeas in step #5 
     
    Chana masala spice blend
    If you do not have time to make a homemade spice blend you can use store bought one or mix the spices below for an Instant chana masala spice mix:
    • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 2 tablespoons coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
    • 1 teaspoon amchur powder
     
    Adding More Veggies
    • Optionally you can add 1 medium-sized boiled, peeled, and cubed red, russet, or sweet potato along with the chickpeas
    • Add two big handfuls of chopped spinach just before adding the garnish

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 9.6mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ We LOVE to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Please share your food photo with hashtag #ministryofcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and our followers can enjoy it too! Thank you and Happy Cooking ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
    Twitter Facebook Linkedin

    More Stove Top Recipes

    • Patwadi in a platte with Rassa and chapati alongside
      Patwadi Rassa
    • Masala Karela Fry
    • Kohlrabi curry served with parathas, lime wedges and onions
      Kohlrabi Curry | Knol Kol Bhaji
    • paneer jalfrezi in a white serving bowl
      Best Paneer Jalfrezi

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Freda @ Aromatic essence says

      March 10, 2016 at 5:02 pm

      So delicious !

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 10, 2016 at 11:24 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Love Served Daily says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:23 pm

      Yummy

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 10, 2016 at 11:25 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Vasantha Vivek says

      March 11, 2016 at 1:31 am

      Mouth watering ..... Yummy ..... !!!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 11, 2016 at 6:34 am

        Thank you Vasantha!

        Reply
        • Vasantha Vivek says

          March 12, 2016 at 2:15 am

          <3 <3 <3

          Reply
    4. eat2healthblog says

      March 11, 2016 at 6:19 am

      This looks and sounds phenomenal and we can see why it's your go-to entertaining dish! We'll have to try it out using your spice blend. 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 11, 2016 at 6:34 am

        Thank you for your kind words!

        Reply
    5. Linda says

      April 01, 2017 at 11:38 pm

      Hi Archana, can you give Instant Pot directions for this (similar to the butter chicken recipe which is amazing!) please?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 02, 2017 at 11:23 am

        Thank Linda, I will post it soon. Trying to catch up with many IP recipes. Glad that you enjoyed the butter chicken.

        Reply
        • Linda says

          April 18, 2017 at 10:51 pm

          I've made the palak paneer now too 🙂 both delicious. How long do you pressure cook your chickpeas for after soaking? Do you add baking soda or salt to it (or just water?) Thanks for making the time to answer

          Reply
          • Archana says

            April 19, 2017 at 7:00 am

            Hi Linda, So glad you are enjoying my IP recipes. I recently posted aloo gobhi and dum aloo too. In this recipeI pressure cooked soaked chickpeas for about 20 mins in a traditional pressure cooker. If you are making this recipe in IP, I would saute all the onions, tomatoes spices etc and then cook on Manual(Hi) for 20-25 mins with NPR.

            Reply
          • Archana says

            April 19, 2017 at 7:00 am

            Also I never add baking soda, just salt.

            Reply
    6. Din says

      January 30, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      So I'm a little too lazy to make the chana masala spice blend - plus the last time i ground spices i had a very long coughing spell. Any chance I could use garam masala instead or unground spices listed in your chana masala spice blend? I believe I have most of them. Also, if i were to make this in the instant pot, do I have to pressure cook the chickpeas first or can I cook them according to your instructions above (in one of your comments) after soaking them overnight? Sorry for all the questions and thank you!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2018 at 11:27 pm

        Absolutely. Garam masala will work well. You will need 1 teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder in addition to garam masala Add some lemon juice with garnish for the tangy flavor. You can cook soaked chickpeas just increase the cook time. Can't wait to hear how you like it!

        Reply
        • Din says

          January 31, 2018 at 6:04 pm

          Thanks! I also have tamarind. Should I use it instead of the lemon juice?

          Reply
          • Archana says

            February 01, 2018 at 11:29 am

            Yes! stir in some tamarind in the end for tanginess.

            Reply
    7. Natarajan Iyer says

      August 04, 2018 at 7:51 pm

      I am a great fan of your recipes and was wondering if you can incorporate the IP method.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 05, 2018 at 2:05 pm

        Will do!

        Reply
    8. Ruchita says

      December 20, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      This is a crowd pleaser! Love this.

      Reply
    9. Rich says

      January 25, 2023 at 4:33 pm

      I don't have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Is it OK to just simmer the chickpeas for an hour or so after soaking them?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 26, 2023 at 5:53 pm

        Yes! Make sure to cover the pot when simmering for soft-cooked chickpeas.

        Reply
    10. Shalini says

      January 29, 2023 at 7:21 pm

      Came out very tasty and it is quite easy to prepare. I did use pre cooked store brought chickpeas. Thanks Archana for this recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2023 at 11:32 am

        Love the idea of using canned chickpeas for a quick and hearty meal.

        Reply
    11. Clarence says

      August 19, 2023 at 2:44 pm

      I made this with and without the black tea bag. Did not add extra water.

      Amazing both ways. It was nice and spicy, for me anyway 🙂 Much different than the instant pot Chana Masal recipe. Like the variation of flavors.

      Thanks for sharing!5 stars

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

    Archana's Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

    SHOP

    Popular Posts

    • pav bhaji served with diced onions, pickle and papad
      Mumbai Pav Bhaji
    • Chicken Biryani served in 2 bowls with raita and lemon wedges
      Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
    • mushroom masala served with rice & naan
      Mushroom Masala
    • pomegranate juice in 2 glasses
      Homemade Pomegranate Juice

    Footer

    AS FEATURED IN

    ↑Back to Top

    Ministry of Curry

    Shop
    About
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility
    Contact

    Food and Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Cooking 101
    Instant Pot 101
    Cookbook

    MOC Pro

    Dashboard
    Meal Plans
    Virtual Cooking Classes
    Tips & Tricks

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © Ministry of Curry

    427 shares
    • 204