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Chana masala, also called Chole in Punjabi, is one of the most popular North Indian and Pakistani vegan curry recipes. This easy recipe makes tender, flavorful chickpeas in a perfectly spiced curry and requires simple ingredients you likely have on hand.
If there’s one dinner recipe I’ve turned to for years when I have no time, creativity, or motivation to cook, it’s Chana Masala. There’s no planning, thawing, or (thanks to canned chickpeas) soaking required. It’s a straightforward, one-pot recipe that captures the essence of South Asian cooking.
Why this Chana Masala Recipe?
This recipe is authentic in that it’s cooked in the traditional Pakistani & North Indian style. But it’s also unfussy – a pantry meal you’d make on a whim. This recipe:
- Uses canned chickpeas. (See note below if you’d rather use dried.)
- Is naturally vegan.
- Results in extra tender chickpeas for a restaurant-like finish (thanks to a pantry ingredient).
- Is perfectly balanced, salted & spiced.
- Is no-fuss & EASY, yet deeply flavorful.
Pro-tips for making Chana Masala:
- Adding a small amount of baking powder or soda makes the chickpeas extra tender. You can either marinate the chickpeas in the baking powder before adding them to the curry or add directly to the curry as I have.
- The garam masala at the end is standard, but lately, I’ve been loving the addition of chaat masala. Chaat masala, much like amchur (dry mango powder), lends a subtle tang, and I’m more likely to have it on hand.
- The recipe moves pretty quickly once the onions are brown, so make sure to have all the ingredients (especially the spices) near the stovetop and ready to use.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to slightly crush the chickpeas to thicken the curry and give a restaurant-like finish.
How to Make Authentic Chana Masala
Over the years, I’ve tried many variations of chana masala to see what gives the best flavor and consistency. This chana masala is vibrant, just the right amount of tanginess, and rich in spicy flavor.
To make it, you simply prepare the curry base and add in the chickpeas along with a bit of baking powder (or soda). Add water and allow the curry to simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes. (I used to skip the simmering, but I find it helps the chickpeas absorb the flavors and become perfectly tender.)
Next, cook down & use a wooden spoon to slightly crush the chickpeas for the perfect consistency. Garnish with garam/chaat masala, lemon, and cilantro.
Chana Masala – the best of weeknight dinners
Chana masala reminds me of my time spent living in Midland, TX. Midland was a small town in West Texas where healthy and delicious dining options were scarce, and halal options almost nonexistent. At the time, my food-related frustrations (don’t we all have them?) were at their peak. I longed for quality, nutritious, flavorful food, and – with due respect to Tex-Mex – I quickly ran out of options.
Looking back, that deprivation also brought about resilience in me. It instilled the habit of cooking and planning and making do with what I had. Instead of opting for restaurant food that I wouldn’t find tasty or feel good eating, I opened a couple of cans of chickpeas and got to work. Chana masala became my takeout, delivery, and drive-thru.
Using Uncooked (Dried) Chickpeas Instead of Canned
You don’t have to use canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans to make this recipe. If you prefer, just pre-cook the the chickpeas as you normally would, then use them in the recipe when called for chana masala. If you use salt to cook the chickpeas, just adjust salt when making this recipe.
1 can of drained chickpeas is about 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas. Around 3/4 cup of dried chickpeas should yield that amount, though I haven’t measured this myself.
Adding Potatoes to Make Aloo Chana
You can also add potatoes to this curry to make aloo chana (potatoes and chickpea curry). I have used 3 small potatoes and they were the perfect amount. Add the potatoes alongside the chickpeas, then cover and cook as directed. The potatoes will take the same time to fully cook.
More Easy Vegan Curry Recipes:
Zucchini Curry – Pakistani-style Toriyan
Easy Spinach and Potato Curry (Aloo Palak)
Easy Mixed Vegetable Curry
Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dal) (another Midland favorite!)
Baingan ka Bharta (Smoked Eggplant Curry)
Chana Masala (Authentic Chickpea Curry)
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup neutral oil such as avocado or grapeseed
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch piece ginger crushed
- 1 small green chili pepper sliced or chopped
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 cans (around 15-oz each) chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp baking powder or soda (optional – for extra tender chickpeas)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala or chaat masala
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, cumin seeds and onion and sauté for 7-8 minutes, until golden. If the mixture gets dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and green chili pepper and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water (if needed), and add the spice powders and give it a few stirs. Add the tomatoes and continue to stir for a minute. Mix in the chickpeas, baking powder (if using), salt, and 2 cups of water.
- Raise the heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let cook for 25-30 minutes, until the chickpeas are very tender.
- Uncover and raise the heat to high. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to slightly crush the chickpeas. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes to desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning. Turn off the heat and add the garam masala or chaat masala, lemon juice, and cilantro leaves.
Delicious and quick enough for a weeknight dinner. My 12 year old went back for seconds!
That’s wonderful, Hannah! Thank you for sharing!
So delicious. So happy to find a real Chana Masala recipe that wasn’t full of tomato sauce. Love this so much. I have been looking for a recipe forever. Going to make this a lot. Also going to try some of the other recipes which also look delicious. thank you
Thanks very much, Barb! Glad you liked it and I hope you get a chance to try other recipes too!
I made this dish tonight for myself and my husband. It was way too salty in my opinion. I will reduce the salt by half next time. Also, it was not spicy at all. I added the instructed amount of paprika and cayenne pepper but next time I will simply add more cayenne and no paprika. Other than that it was fine.
Hmm..you know it could be that the canned chickpeas had too much added salt, since they usually contain some salt. Also, sometimes the type of salt you use can affect the salt quantity as well. And yes, I do keep the red chili mild since it’s quite adjustable.
This was absolutely delicious and really easy to make. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jenny! Thank you for your review!
Made tonight, this was very, very good. I added 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes diced slightly larger than the chick peas, can’t wait to try it with the chaat masala.
Sounds delightful. Thank you so much for reporting back, Rick!!
RICK,
WHEN YOU ADD POTATOES, THIS IS WHAT IS CALLED aLOO CHOLE IN PUNBAB.
Just made it today! It is delicious! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I didn’t miss meat at all. This is going to become a regular meatless dish in my home.
Awesome to hear that! I’m making it right now, Amy! Thanks so much for your review!
Hi Izzah,
Will you be able to post a recipiee for tarkah dall please.I order it from my local take away and it tastes soo good. Im struggling to find a good recipiee.
Hi Kasia! Added it to my list of suggested recipes. I do have masoor and chana dal on the blog!
Just made this for our Eid nashta tomorrow! So easy to make and turned out so good! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Kiren! Thanks for taking the time to review!
Delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Izzah! I just discovered your blog. Guess what, I live in Midland right now! I was so surprised to read that you lived here too! I moved from Houston four years ago and will be moving back this year. I too took the opportunity to hone my home cooking skills because of the lack of variety (and quality, let’s be honest) of the food here. i love to cook though so it’s not a problem for me. Did you have any favorite restaurants or ethnic grocer stores from here or Odessa? Where did you buy your garam masala or chaat masala?I hope you’re doing well in your quarantine, wherever you are now.
What a surprise, Christina! Yes, Midland is the perfect opportunity to broaden cooking skills, but I’m so glad I have access to better restaurants now here in Houston :). I remember you can’t trust the restaurant reviews because mediocre restaurants were rated really well. lol. I would usually buy all my spices & products whenever I traveled to visit family or so. There was this hole in the wall place in Odessa called Susie’s Grocery & Deli which had decent & fresh Filipino food and a small selection of Indian/Pakistani spices. I also used to enjoy The Garlic Press. But to be honest, there’s nothing I miss. Wow, my food-related memories are flooding back hahah. Thank you for your nice comment.
Ooh. Also remembered. If you like fresh & healthy food, Odessa College’s Culinary School’s restaurant Grab & Gourmet had great lunch and dessert options. It was all fresh cooked by students. They even teach culinary classes there. I took one before blogging days and had great fun!
Tried this out tonight for our “Meatless Monday” choice and loved it. My husband even had a second helping. Served it with your Cucumber Raita recipe which made it a great combo. Thanks so much.
Love this combo, Donna. Thank you for your review!
Absolutely delicious. Will make this again, thanks for sharing!!!
You’re welcome, Rosamund! Thanks for your review!
Salam Alaikum, thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve had such great luck with all of your recipes that I doubled this recipe trusting it would be delicious and it didn’t disappoint. I will definitely be making this a part of our weekly rotation and have shared the recipe with friends.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful review!! Makes my day 🙂
Just made this dish for the first time and am so in love with the flavors. It is the best Chana Masala I have ever had. Thanks so much for a great (and easy) recipe.
Gwen
I’m so glad to hear that, Gwen!! Thank you so much for the review 🙂
Hi! Just a quick question. Can this dish be frozen and microwaved?
Yes! In fact, it freezes really well!
I made it and it was soooo good!! Thank You for sharing!
So glad to hear that, Desiree! Thanks for sharing your review!!
Hello! Thanks for the recipe. Do you have a favorite brand of chaat masala that you use?
Hi Jennifer! I’ve recently been loving SpiceWala chaat masala!
Made the Chickpea Curry for the first time and myself and my husband really enjoyed it. Will definitely be making it again.
Yay! Happy to hear that, Sharon. Thank you for the review!
Hi, I normally cook Punjabi Allo Chole.
Can I use this recipe for that.
I suppose, I will have to vary the amount of ingredients for that.
Any help / advise will be highly appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Jamil. I’m assuming you’re referring to the chole we eat with pooris? I believe that would have slightly varying ingredients (such as more water, tamarind for the sour taste, etc.). If you make this with potatoes, it would be delicious regardless!
Delicious Izzah! Love the baking powder tip too.
Thanks so much, Liane!
Delicious! My husband and 16 yr old son also loved it. This is one for my regular rotation, thank you!
So happy to hear that, Leigh! Thank you for sharing your review! 🙂
Ive tried this recipe twice and my husband absolutely loved it. Thank you for putting up a simple recipe of a restaurant standard dish. God bless you.
So kind of you! Thank you for taking the time to share your review!
Came out really well! It didn’t turn out very red and I had to sauté it for like ten more minutes for most of the water to go, but it’s delicious! I added a few pinches of long, thin strips of ginger at the very end for a nice zing
Glad to hear that, Sereena! Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your review!