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Authentic Chana Masala

4.58 from 26 votes

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This is the chana masala I used to teach most often in my Indian cooking classes: everyone loved grinding their own spice blend, and it's simple enough that people would leave able to make it again at home. It's still my go-to now for potlucks and entertaining, holds up well for a crowd, and adjusts easily for spice level or a vegan table (swap ghee for oil). Short on time? I've also got an Instant Pot version.

Chana masala in pan

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5 stars
"I've made many versions of chana masala and this definitely one of the best! Absolutely delicious and easy to follow instructions. I substituted garam masala as you suggested in the notes. I can't wait to try your other recipes, thank you!"
-Eliana

This chickpea curry is naturally gluten-free and is so good served over fluffy basmati rice or with Jowar Roti. And if you are craving a restaurant-style meal at home, I highly recommend you try it with my favorite soft and fluffy homemade naan!

Before I share the full recipe, I suggest you read the ingredient tips I have shared below for perfect chana masala. It includes a few answers I've given readers over the years: how I convert this to the Instant Pot, what to do if tamarind is what's on hand instead of lemon, and why I skip baking soda entirely.

Want to include more Indian vegetarian dishes in your everyday meals? I have got lots of Vegetarian curries that are easy to make at home. And I promise they will soon be in your weekly rotation just like mine.

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

Ingredient Tips & Answers to Your Questions

  1. Chickpeas - Dry (1 cup, soaked and pressure cooked) or canned (2 cans, 15 oz, rinsed and drained) both work well. I don't add baking soda, just salt, when cooking dry chickpeas from scratch. Baking soda can make chickpeas mushy and add a slight metallic taste, so it's best to avoid it.
  2. Chana Masala Spice Blend - Homemade is amazing, but store-bought works too. No spice blend on hand? Garam masala plus a teaspoon each of red chili powder and coriander powder gets you close.
  3. For extra tang -A spoonful of tamarind stirred in at the end works as well as the usual squeeze of lemon, if that's what's in your pantry.
  4. Making it in the Instant Pot - Sauté the onions, tomatoes, and spices first, then pressure cook on Manual (High) for 20-25 minutes with a natural release. Or use my full Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe for exact timing.
ingredients for chana masala

Step-by-Step Photos

A clear glass bowl containing dried chickpeas sits on a marble countertop.
Add dry chickpeas to a bowl.
A glass bowl filled with dried chickpeas soaking in water sits on a marble countertop.
Add water and soak for 8-10 hours or overnight.
A pot filled with water and uncooked chickpeas, ready to be cooked.
Discard the water and pressure cook with fresh water.
A wooden spatula holds a single peeled chickpea over a pot filled with unpeeled chickpeas submerged in water.
Chickpeas should be cooked soft. Check by pressing one.
Chopped onions and a bay leaf sautéing in oil in a black pot on an electric stovetop.
Heat ghee in a medium skillet. Add bay leaf and onions and sauté on medium-high heat until golden brown.
Chopped onions, garlic, ginger, a bay leaf, and a green chili are sautéing in a large black pot on an electric stovetop.
Add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chili. Mix well and cook for another minute.
Chopped onions and tomatoes cooking in a black pan on an electric stove.
Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili, and a bay leaf are being sautéed in a black pan on an electric stovetop.
Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
dry spices added to sauteed onions and tomatoes in a pan
Mix well with chana masala spice blend, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder.
boiled chickpeas added to the pot of masala
Add pressure-cooked chickpeas.
water added to chana masala
Add one cup of water (more or less) to bring the curry to your desired consistency.
chana masala garnished with kasoori methi and cilantro
Simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with Kasoori methi and cilantro.

Serving

I love serving chana masala with parathas or rice, along with a side of cucumber raita and pickled onions. Another delicious option is to wrap this flavorful curry in buttery Kawan Parathas, adding some green chutney and onions, and enjoy it as a Kathi Roll.

chana masala in a white bowl

Meal Prep Recipe

Like most Indian curries, chana masala tastes even better the next day, once the spices have had time to settle in. It's an easy one to keep on hand for busy weeknights, or to make ahead for a party since it holds up well for a crowd.

★ Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it-I love seeing your creations. If you're on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!

Recipe

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Chana Masala
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4.58 from 26 votes

Traditional Chana Masala Recipe (Chole)

Make restaurant-style Chana Masala right at home with this easy and delicious recipe.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Soaking Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours
Course: dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 147kcal
Author: Archana Mundhe

Recipe Video

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

Garnish

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 to Instant Pot insert or a stove top pressure cooker. 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.

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

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Filed Under

More Vegetarian Curries

Comments

    4.58 from 26 votes (19 ratings without comment)

  1. Freda @ Aromatic essence says

    So delicious !

    • Archana says

      Thank you!

  2. Love Served Daily says

    Yummy

    • Archana says

      Thank you!

  3. Vasantha Vivek says

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

    • Archana says

      Thank you Vasantha!

      • Vasantha Vivek says

        <3 <3 <3

  4. eat2healthblog says

    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. 🙂

    • Archana says

      Thank you for your kind words!

  5. Linda says

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

    • Archana says

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

      • Linda says

        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

        • Archana says

          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.

        • Archana says

          Also I never add baking soda, just salt.

  6. Din says

    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!

    • Archana says

      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!

      • Din says

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

        • Archana says

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

  7. Natarajan Iyer says

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

    • Archana says

      Will do!

  8. Ruchita says

    This is a crowd pleaser! Love this.

  9. Rich says

    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?

    • Archana says

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

  10. Shalini says

    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

    • Archana says

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

  11. Clarence says

    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

  12. Leigh says

    Good recipe! I used the Rani chana masala spice blend, and extra tomatoes instead of adding water.5 stars

  13. Eliana says

    I've made many versions of chana masala and this definitely one of the best! Absolutely delicious and easy to follow instructions. I substituted garam masala as you suggested in the notes. I can't wait to try your other recipes, thank you!5 stars

  14. Eliana says

    I've made many versions of chana masala and this is definitely one of the best! Absolutely delicious and easy to follow instructions. I substituted garam masala as you suggested in the notes. I can't wait to try your other recipes, thank you!5 stars

  15. Vanessa Lynch says

    Tastes like the dish from my favourite Indian restaurant.5 stars

  16. Lisa says

    I made this recipe last night for dinner and it was outstanding! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.5 stars

    • Archana Mundhe says

      Thank you for the lovely feedback! I can't wait to see which recipe you try next.