Chana Masala
intro
Hearty, aromatic spiced chickpea curry simmered with tomato, ginger, and warm garam masala, perfect served with basmati rice or buttery naan.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
First, rinse 480g drained canned chickpeas under cold running water and set aside. Finely dice the 180g yellow onion, chop 300g Roma tomatoes, grate 20g fresh ginger, and mince 12g garlic. Measure ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder, and 1 tsp of the kosher salt into a small bowl for easy access during cooking.
Sauté onion base
Heat 3 tbsp (45ml) neutral vegetable oil in a 3L heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat (175°C/350°F). Once the oil shimmers, add the diced onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deep golden brown at the edges. Take care not to burn the onion, as this will add a bitter flavor to the finished curry.
Bloom the spices
Add grated ginger and minced garlic to the pot with cooked onions, stir constantly, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the pre-measured spice mix to the pot, stir to fully coat the onion mixture, and cook for 20 seconds over medium-low heat to release the spices' aromatic oils. Do not cook spices longer than 30 seconds, as they will scorch and turn bitter.
Cook tomato masala
Add the finely diced Roma tomatoes to the spiced onion mixture, stir to combine, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Gently mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon as they soften, cooking until tomatoes break down completely, oil separates from the paste, and the mixture forms a thick, deep red masala sauce with no visible raw tomato chunks.
Simmer the chickpeas
Add rinsed chickpeas, remaining 0.5 tsp kosher salt, and 1 cup (240ml) of water to the pot, stirring fully to coat every chickpea in the masala sauce. Bring the mixture to a gentle rolling boil, then reduce heat to low (120°C/250°F), cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring once at the 6-minute mark to prevent sticking to the pot bottom.
Finish and garnish
Turn off the stovetop heat, stir in garam masala and amchur powder, mixing thoroughly to evenly distribute the warm, tangy flavors. Taste and adjust salt if needed, then top with freshly chopped cilantro. Let the curry rest for 3 minutes off heat to allow flavors to meld fully before serving.
Tips
2.If you do not have amchur (dry mango powder), substitute it with 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice added right after turning off the heat to replicate the signature bright, tangy flavor.
3.Always add garam masala at the end of cooking: its delicate, warm aromatic compounds break down quickly with prolonged high heat, leading to a flat, bitter taste if added too early.
OMG this chana masala was SUCH a hit at our family dinner last night! I was worried the spices would be too much for my picky 7 year old but she asked for seconds! Cook time was exactly 35 mins like it said, super easy to throw together even after a long work day. 10/10 will be adding this to our weekly rotation.
Game changer. I’ve been buying those jarred chana masala sauces for years because I thought making it from scratch was too hard, but this was so straightforward. Way better flavor than the store bought stuff, no weird preservatives. Already texted the recipe to my roommate.
This was my first time ever making Indian food at home and I was so nervous I’d mess it up! The steps were super clear, it came out perfectly tangy and spiced just right. Only thing I did was add a tiny extra squeeze of lemon at the end because I love that bright flavor. So good!
Loved the base recipe! I upped the garam masala by a half teaspoon and added a pinch of red chili flakes because I like my chana masala with a little extra kick. Perfect for meal prep – I made a big batch Sunday and ate it for lunch all week, it held up so good in the fridge.
Solid, easy chana masala recipe. I used dried chickpeas that I soaked overnight instead of canned and it came out perfectly, just added 10 extra minutes of simmer time to make sure they were tender. Great depth of flavor without needing a million fancy ingredients.
Made this for my boyfriend who’s obsessed with takeout chana masala and he said it’s better than our usual spot! I did accidentally use too much tomato the first time so it was a little soupier than I wanted, but I just simmered it a few extra minutes and it thickened right up. Will definitely make again.
Brought this to my office potluck today and people were begging me for the recipe! I was worried it would be too spicy for the Midwestern palates at work so I cut the cayenne in half, and it was perfect – everyone from the interns to my boss went back for seconds. Even had one person ask if I catered it lmao
Super easy, great for meal prep like other people said. Only knock is I wish the recipe noted whether you should use salted or unsalted canned chickpeas – I used salted and ended up adding a little too much extra salt at the end, oops. Still tasted amazing though, just a heads up for other people.