How to make Authentic Chana masala recipe with canned chickpeas

Chana masala is one of the most famous Indian recipes and one of my favorites. Chana masala is a recipe of north Indian origin. Today I will share my go-to recipe for making authentic Chana masala with canned chickpeas. If you want to lift your spice affair with this Indian recipe (Chana Masala), follow along.

Chana masala can be made dry or with a little bit of thick gravy. It depends on how one intends to serve it.

Authentic serving suggestions for Chana masala:

 Chana masala is best served with any kind of rice, chapattis, naan, pita bread, cauliflower rice, or bulgur wheat. Traditionally, Chana masala is served with naan and Indian basmati rice.

Chana Masala recipe is easy but it can be intimidating at the same time. Simply, because like any other Indian recipe it uses numerous spices and condiments. Which makes it a little daunting.

I see people often skipping some important spices and expecting restaurant like results. Once you get to understand the role of each spice, it becomes easy to choose which is important and which can be skipped.

Don’t worry you are in safe hands, we will discuss all nuances of this spice affair. ( It might look like a master class on chickpeas, but please bear with me. It is totally worth it.)

Which is better: Dry or canned chickpeas?

If you want to start with dry chickpeas, it can be a really tedious recipe. Because then, you have to start a day before, by soaking the chickpeas for 8-10 hours. Then boiling or pressure cooking for 45 plus minutes and finally working on the gravy.

In my opinion, freshly boiling the chickpeas is an unnecessary drill if you have access to canned chickpeas. And trust me there is no significant difference in the results.

 In fact, there is always a concern about overcooking and undercooking the chickpeas. In both situations, your dish suffers.

So, I like to avoid the risk, hassle, and save some time which can be utilized to refine this Chana masala recipe.

So, let us start our chickpea recipe.

Ingredients for an authentic Chana Masala recipe

Ingredients for an authentic Chana Masala recipe

1. Ginger, onion, and garlic.

 Three base ingredients and must be freshly finely chopped or grated. Grate ginger, mince garlic and finely chop the onion.

Never use minced garlic from the jar. Homemade ginger garlic paste is also fine.

 In the case of onions, choose red onions, they work best in curry or masala recipes.

2. Tomato is the base for the curry. So it better to be good and ample. A 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes will do justice here.

 Why I don’t recommend using fresh tomatoes for the Chana Masala?

Tomatoes are grown year-round in greenhouses to feed the supply chains that deliver to your grocery stores. And we all know how they taste when compared to the seasonal tomatoes. Your gravy will taste different every time you will make it. The canned tomatoes are vine-ripened and canned in the peak season. So, I recommend using canned tomatoes.

If you still want to use fresh, use 3-4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes pureed in a food processor. You also might need to add a little more salt in the recipe as canned ones have salt in them.

3. Tomato paste is also great for Chana masala as it gives more depth to the curry and also has this dense red color that we want in our dish.
   
   If you are making a dry version, you can choose to omit it but if you are rooting for a little curry to go with rice you must use it. I use it anyway because I just love how it enhances the consistency of the Chana Masala.

Now, let us move to the spice affair of the Chana Masala. It has a pretty serious spice affair and it is not complicated!

Dry Spices for Chana masala:

4. Bay leaf and asafetida are totally optional, but using them will totally elevate your Chana Masala.
   
5. Cloves should be put as a whole in the beginning to flavor the oil. Do not forget to remove them when Chana Masala is ready.
   
6. Crush the greater cardamom, also called black cardamom using a pestle and mortar or something similar. Take out the seeds and coarsely crush the seeds. These are super aromatic and takes your Chana masala to a whole new level. But it is also optional.
   
   
7. Chana masala spice mix is a special blend of spices that are made particularly for the chana masala recipe. You can find it at any Indian grocery store. It contains more than 15 types of spices mixed. But if you do not have Chana Masala, add 1 teaspoon each of Garam masala and curry powder. 
   
   
8. Degi Mirch or any bright red colored chili powder. We need chili powder which is not very hot but has a vibrant red color.
   
   
9. As far as the cooking medium is concerned, I like to use grapeseed oil. Feel free to use any oil of your preference.
   
   
   

Quick Notes for Chana masala recipe:

1. If starting with dry chickpeas, soak them overnight ( 8-10 hours). Transfer to a pressure cooker or instant pot with 4 times water. Say, for 1 cup dry chickpeas use 4 cups of water. 
   
2. Choice of canned chickpeas is important. Every brand is different in terms of doneness. Choose the ones that are soft and can be easily mushed. 
   
3. Try to use red onions and cook them until they start to become golden. Undercooked onions defeat the overall purpose of adding them in the first place. They should be incorporated into the thick luscious curry, but if they are undercooked, they will appear as translucent pieces of onions in your finished dish. 
   
4. If you like that crunch of onions in Chana masala, add half a cup of finely chopped onions with lime juice and cilantro in the end when Chana masala is still hot.
   
5. When adding the dry spices after onions are well cooked, make sure to reduce the flame first, or your spices might burn. Avoid adding spices one by one. I suggest you put the measured quantities of spices in a small bowl beforehand and as the onions are done, reduce the heat and put all spices at once. Or, you can add the spices after having added the tomatoes. 
   
6. Adjust the salt and heat according to your taste. If you have a very low heat tolerance, I suggest you skip green chilies completely. 
   
7. Instead of brown sugar you can use white sugar, coconut sugar, or jaggery or avoid this step completely. It is just that adding a little bit of sugar brings out the flavors beautifully. 
   
8. If you are making the curry version of Chana Masala, and wish to consume it with rice, crushing some chickpeas really helps as they impart thickness to the gravy.
   
   
   

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How to make Authentic Chana masala recipe with canned chickpeas

Authentic Chana masala recipe using canned chickpeas is super quick and easy. It will save you time and hassel, plus please your taste buds.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Authentic chana masala, Chana Masala recipe, chole, chole masala, punjabi chana Masala

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 201kcal

Author Meenakshi

Ingredients

• 2 - 15 OZ cans Chickpea
• 3 Tbsp. Cooking oil
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 cloves
• 1 teaspoon Whole cumin
• 1 Serrano peppers/ green chili finely chopped
• 6-7 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoon Grated ginger
• 1 Large Red onion 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder Degi Mirch
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 pinch Asafetida powder
• 2 Greater cardamom crushed seeds
• 14.5 oz Canned diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon Brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon Chana masala/ Garam masala/ curry powder

For Garnish:

• ½ Cup Chopped cilantro
• 1 Key lime

Instructions

• Take out about half a cup of chickpeas from a can and crush them coarsely using a potato masher or a pestle and set aside.
• Place a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Add oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, clove, and bay leaves.
• Then, add garlic, ginger, and chili. Sauté for a minute and add finely chopped onions.
• Sauté onions, stirring frequently till they start to become golden brown.
• Reduce the flame to low.
• Add turmeric, greater cardamom seeds, black pepper, salt, asafetida, chili powder, and coriander powder. Quickly stir and add 2 tbsp. of water.
• Let all the spices cook for half a minute.
• Now, empty the can of diced tomato with liquid into the pan and add the tomato paste with the brown sugar.
• Cover and let cook at medium flame for 5-7 minutes or till it starts to leave the oil on the side of the pan. This is how you know that tomatoes are cooked completely.
• Add Chana masala spice mix or garam masala or curry powder and mix well.
• Now, put the crushed and whole chickpeas into the pan with the liquid. Mix well. Cover and let cook for about 10 -15 minutes on low medium heat.
• When done, turn off the flame and add chopped cilantro, squeeze lime and mix well.
• Serve hot with a flatbread of your choice or rice.

Notes

Storage notes
• Chana Masala can be refrigerated safely in an airtight food-grade container for 3-4 days. It can be frozen safely for weeks. But trust me, it won’t last that long.

Recipe notes

•  If starting with dry chickpeas, soak them overnight ( 8-10 hours). Transfer to a pressure cooker or instant pot with 4 times water. Say, for 1 cup dry chickpeas use 4 cups of water.
• Choice of canned chickpeas is important. Every brand is different in term of doneness. Choose the ones that are soft and can be easily mushed.
• Try to use red onions and cook them until they start to become golden. Undercooked onions defeat the overall purpose of adding them in the first place. They should be incorporated into the thick luscious curry, but if they are undercooked, they will appear as translucent pieces of onions in your finished dish.
• If you like that crunch of onions in Chana masala, add half a cup of finely chopped onions with lime juice and cilantro in the end when Chana masala is still hot.
• When adding the dry spices after onions are well cooked, make sure to reduce the flame first, or your spices might burn. Avoid adding spices one by one. I suggest you put the measured quantities of spices in a small bowl beforehand and as the onions are done, reduce the heat and put all spices at once, or you can add the spices after having added the tomatoes.
• Adjust the salt and heat according to your taste. If you have a very low heat tolerance, I suggest you skip green chilies completely.
• Instead of brown sugar you can use white sugar, coconut sugar, or jaggery or avoid this step completely. It is just that adding a little bit of sugar brings out the flavors beautifully.
• If you are making the curry version of Chana Masala, and wish to consume it with rice, crushing some chickpeas really helps as they impart thickness to the gravy.

 

Nutrition Facts