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.
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
• 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
Calories: 201kcal
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