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    Home » Beans and Lentils

    Chana Saag | Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

    Published: Dec 1, 2016 · Modified: May 13, 2021 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 35 Comments

    1632 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Chana Saag is a classic Indian curry made with chickpeas, spinach, onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and warm spices. Served with warm pita bread or steamed basmati rice makes a perfect weeknight meal easily adapted to vegan or gluten-free diets.

    chana saag served with pita bread and raita

    I love the versatile protein and fiber-rich chickpeas. A crowd-pleaser recipe, chana saag can be made ahead, making it an ideal dish for busy weeknights and is also a hit at gatherings and parties. This chana saag is adapted from one of my favorite food blogger Malika Basu's recipe.

    chana saag in a pot

    As Malika describes, the recipe indeed is very easy and yields an aromatic and perfectly spiced curry. I loved how the bag of spinach blended so beautifully with the rest of the ingredients. This healthy and nutrition-rich curry is definitely a keeper and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

    Tips

    • Chana Saag tastes even better the next day when all the flavors had infused well, so go ahead and make a double batch
    • Do not cook for too long after adding the spinach and remember not to cover after adding the spinach to retain the vibrant green color
    • If making ahead for a party, stir in the spinach just before serving to maintain its fresh green color
    • If you are using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight and then pressure cook in an Instant Pot for 45 minutes.
    • You can also make this recipe in the pressure cooker with my Instant Pot Chana Saag Recipe
    saag chana served with raita and pita bread

    Serving

    Serve with warm pita bread, roti, or homemade parathas. For a gluten-free meal, serve with basmati rice or brown rice. Cooling beetroot raita pairs really well with the spicy flavors of this curry. And don't forget to make the refreshing mango lassi that the kids and adults will love!

    Storing

    Chana saag can be refrigerated unto 5 days. For longer shelf life, freeze it. To reheat simply allow it to thaw and then reheat it in the microwave or stovetop in a pan.

    Did you enjoy this protein packed vegetarian curry? Here are some more vegetarian recipes to try:

    • Daal Makhani – Copy cat Madras Lentils recipe
    • Spinach Dal & Rice - Creamy lentils with rice cooked pot in pot
    • Chana Masala - A classic restaurant fav dish
    • Curried Black eyed peas - Easy Instant Pot Recipe
    • Creamy Dill Lentils - Best way to enjoy dill with lots of garlic
    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
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    4.55 from 59 votes

    Chana Saag {chickpeas and spinach cooked in warm spices}

    A classic Indian curry made with chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and spiced with warm homemade garam masala.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Entree, Main dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 90kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon ghee
    • 1 yellow onion finely diced
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 medium tomato diced
    • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
    • 4 cups fresh baby spinach rough chopped
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala add more for spicier curry
    • ½ teaspoon aamchoor powder or use 1 tablespoon lemon juice

    Instructions

    • In a medium sized pot, add ghee and when it’s sizzling hot, toss in the chopped onions and salt and saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are translucent. Cover the pot to speed up the process.
    • Next add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for additional 2 to 3 minutes as onions continue to brown.
    • Add the chopped tomato, turmeric, red chilli powder and ground cumin. Stir well and cook covered for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the tomatoes start to soften. Add half a cup of warm water, lower the heat to medium and let the spices infuse the tomato for another 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Stir in the the chickpeas and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes as the chickpeas are heated through. Add the spinach and stir into the masala and cook just until the spinach wilts. Turn the heat off.
    • To finish sprinkle the garam masala and amchoor powder or lemon juice all over and serve hot with naan or rice.

    Video

    Notes

    • For a vegan option, substitute ghee with neutral oil 
    • Chana Saag tastes even better the next day when all the flavors had infused well, so go ahead and make a double batch
    • Do not cook for too long after adding the spinach and remember not to cover after adding the spinach to retain the vibrant green color
    • If making ahead, stir in the spinach just before serving to maintain its fresh green color
    • If you are using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight and then pressure cook in an Instant Pot for 45 minutes.
    • You can also make this recipe in the pressure cooker with my Instant Pot Chana Saag Recipe

    Nutrition

    Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4359IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
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    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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    « Swiss Chard Aloo Vadi {Patra, Pathrado}
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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Indu says

      December 01, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      looks so yummy!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 01, 2016 at 5:31 pm

        Thank you Indu!

        Reply
        • Indukuri A Raju says

          August 23, 2019 at 2:23 pm

          for US, Choppoing of costco loose spinach is painful... What i Do instead is freeze the spinach bag and simply crush the frozen spinach leaves between my palms to get desired effect. Cheers

          Reply
          • Archana says

            August 24, 2019 at 4:12 pm

            Thank you! Great idea

            Reply
    2. Amy says

      December 01, 2016 at 6:43 pm

      Thanks, Archana! Wondering where to get the mango root powder. Sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 01, 2016 at 10:31 pm

        Amy, I used dry mango powder which is available in Indian grocery stores. Instead of amchoor powder you can also use 1 tsp of lemon juice. It basically gives the required sour taste!

        Reply
    3. payel says

      December 01, 2016 at 7:46 pm

      Looks so delicious!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 01, 2016 at 10:33 pm

        Thank you Payel and it tastes heavenly.

        Reply
    4. annika says

      December 01, 2016 at 10:20 pm

      You can never go wrong with chickpeas. Love your presentation!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 01, 2016 at 10:37 pm

        Thank you Annika!

        Reply
    5. Alok Singhal says

      December 05, 2016 at 1:32 pm

      I have been checking out food blogs today after long, and this looks super-delicious!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 05, 2016 at 3:55 pm

        Thank you Alok!

        Reply
    6. Elaine says

      September 01, 2017 at 7:24 pm

      Thank you. We had this for dinner and it was fantastic. I added cauliflower since I had to cook it. Yum!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 01, 2017 at 7:34 pm

        Hi Elaine! So glad you enjoyed this easy and delicious recipe. I like your idea of adding cauliflower in it!

        Reply
    7. Amber says

      June 12, 2019 at 10:49 pm

      Just finished the dishes after eating this for dinner tonight. I never realized how creamy the spinach got when it is cooked down and I'm so used to curries with coconut milk I thought we would miss it. Nope! Will make again!

      We used the lemon juice substitute you mention in the comments for the amchoor since we didn't have that on hand. Since we're a spicy family, we added some leftover chopped jalapeno from another dish and it was perfectly hot but oh-so delish!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 15, 2019 at 12:20 pm

        Thank you Amber!

        Reply
    8. Vishal says

      June 17, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      Hi Archana- Did you change this recipe? I believe there was a previous version where you did the sauté first and cooked all the ingredients with the chickpeas. That definitely seems easier, curious what happened to that one.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 19, 2019 at 8:49 pm

        I have not changed this recipe. May be you are referring to the Chana saag instant pot version?

        Reply
    9. Ana Salas says

      July 28, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      I made this for a quick dinner tonight, and everyone loved it! I wanted to ask - you mention that the dish can be made ahead - can you provide some recommendations on how best to reheat it? Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 01, 2019 at 3:16 pm

        Thank you for the feedback. To reheat you can simply microwave or reheat in a pan on the stovetop

        Reply
    10. Hemali says

      September 11, 2019 at 6:20 pm

      Hi Archana! I’m excited to try this recipe tonight but I don’t have ghee on hand.. can I make the dish without it or substitute it for butter?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 12, 2019 at 7:45 am

        Hi Hemali! Yes you can use any oil. It will still be delicious!

        Reply
    11. Valerie Smith says

      September 29, 2019 at 2:07 pm

      Just made this delicious dish. It was wonderful. I added another tomato because I love my curries saucy and substituted the lemon juice as a previous responder suggested. I am passing the recipe on to my sister.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 30, 2019 at 7:09 pm

        Thank you for your lovely feedback

        Reply
    12. Marcia says

      May 28, 2020 at 12:28 am

      I soaked my organic dried chickpeas I keep on hand for hummus. My two teenage daughters inhaled their dinner and neither asked “What is this green stuff?” Quite the contrary. My younger daughter asked me to make it more often. I purchased the chili powder you recommend from Amazon. This has just the right amount of spice. I’ll make it a day or two in advance next time to let the flavors meld. We all loved it. I’m a big fan of your blog. Thank you so much!!!!

      Reply
    13. Kira Rukin says

      September 21, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      How much is a serving? I am going to bulk prepare for myself and a friend.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 21, 2020 at 5:26 pm

        Hi! It makes about 3 cups. And serving size depends on each individual. If you want to bulk prepare def increase servings to 12 🙂

        Reply
    14. Prabha Abraham says

      October 01, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      HI Archana - recipe looks great! What was the size of the can of chickpeas? I have a 15 oz, and a 29oz. Will the ratio of spices accommodate a larger can?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 01, 2020 at 10:11 pm

        15 oz, so if you are using 29 oz double the recipe ingredients.

        Reply
    15. Dana says

      January 11, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      My family loves this dish. I double the recipe and also use half chick peas and the other half paneer. So so good and easy to make!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 12, 2021 at 11:19 am

        Great idea to add paneer

        Reply
    16. Sherin says

      March 14, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      Really delicious recipe and easy to make!! Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
    17. Susan says

      January 26, 2022 at 7:46 pm

      I loved this dish (with naan) and was so sad there wasn't enough left over for another full meal - I didn't notice the serving size said 3 (and I only had enough fresh ingredients for 1 recipe). I made it again today from the pantry (canned tomatoes, frozen spinach) for comparison. It was tasty for pantry food, but sadly it wasn't quite right and I won't make it without fresh produce again. Next time I will double the recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 27, 2022 at 12:49 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this easy recipe. I agree fresh tomatoes and spinach makes a difference.

        Reply
    18. Elizabeth says

      March 02, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      Yummy yummy yummy! So easy, fast and cheap to make, and all wirh ingredient I already had on hand! (I went with frozen spinach for ease and savings.) I made a double batch and looking forward to the flavors coming together even more over a couple meals. Thanks for another great recipe, Archana!5 stars

      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.

    Learn More About Me!

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