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    Home » Stove Top Recipes

    Easy Chana Masala Recipe

    Published: Mar 10, 2016 · Modified: Jan 8, 2023 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 23 Comments

    242 shares
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    Chana masala is a staple in my kitchen for quick weeknight meals as well as a go-to dish when entertaining. This perfectly spiced, tangy, aromatic restaurant-style chickpea curry makes for a healthy, protein-packed dinner.

    Chana masala in copper bowl

    Homemade Chana Masala Spice Blend

    This dish can quickly be made if you have the spices roasted and blended in advance (or you can use ready-made chana masala spice which is readily available). I recently made a batch of this spice blend to speed up my weeknight cooking.

    Chana Masala Spice Blend

    After researching quite a few recipes and several trials, I now have the perfect recipe that I am thrilled to share with you! This blend uses Kashmiri red chilies that give the dish a deep orange color and just the right amount of heat and dried mango powder to enhance the tangy tomato flavor.

    The spice blend uses a few basic spices and can be made ahead in a big batch or can also be made while you are sautéing onions for this chana masala recipe.

    Ingredients For Chana Masala

    • Chickpeas
    • Yellow Onion
    • Tomatoes
    • Ginger and Garlic
    • Chana Masala Spice Blend
    ingredients for chana masala

    Here is the Chana Masala recipe using a homemade chana masala spice blend that can be made in a jiffy.

    Chana masala with cilantro on top

    More Weeknight Dinner Ideas

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

    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 

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    Chana Masala
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    4.34 from 12 votes

    Chana Masala

    Classic Chana Masala with homemade spice blend.  
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 147kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup chickpeas dry
    • 1 large onion finely chopped
    • 2 tomatoes chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • ½ inch ginger grated
    • 1 tablespoon ghee
    • 1 tablespoon chana masala spice blend
    • 1 black tea bag optional
    • 1 potato boiled, peeled and cubed (optional)
    • Salt to taste
    • Cilantro for garnish optional

    Instructions

    • Soak white chickpeas in water overnight or 8-10 hours and pressure cook them until soft. I sometimes pressure cook them with a teabag 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.
    • Heat ghee in a medium skillet. Add chopped onions and sauté on medium-high heat until it turns golden brown. Add ginger and garlic. Mix well and cook for another minute.
    • Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring few times until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
    • Add chana masala spice blend and mix well. Add boiled chickpeas and salt to taste.  Add ¼th 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 are looking for spicier chana masala, especially if you decide to add the potato. Simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with cilantro.
    • Serve with steamed basmati rice or paratha!

    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.
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    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

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    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.

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