Are you folks ready to get your spice on?! Good, because today we are going to be whipping up yet another classic Indian curry dish, chana masala.
If you’ve read some of my previous curry recipes then you would know that I am a HUGE fan of Indian cuisine. And chana masala is easily one of my top five favorite Indian curry dishes of all time. It’s filling, it’s healthy, and most importantly It’s brimming with complex spicy flavors. The holy trinity of qualities which make a great curry dish.
But for those of you who are less versed in Indian cuisine let me explain what chana masala is.
The dish itself begins with the chana, which in the Hindi language translates as chickpea. Now, traditionally, the type of chickpea used in India is much larger and firmer than the ones we have here in the states. If you can get your hands on that type of chickpea then great, use it! However, if you are like me, and can’t find any traditional chana, then don’t worry regular chickpeas will work just fine.
The other main component of this dish is the masala, which simply translates as a blend of spices. This blend of spices is then mixed and cooked into a sauce composed of onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger. Yumm sounds tasty
And if we combine these two together chana masala simply means chickpeas which are cooked in a spice blend. A perfect vegetarian, or vegan-friendly meal! So if the sound of all of that is getting your stomach growling then let get to making this chana masala.
Tips, Tricks, & Suggestions
- Today’s recipe isn’t spicy at all. However, you can easily make it spicy by adding in some whole chili peppers with the first spice mix. I suggest about 2 chilies for medium spice, 4 chilies for medium hot, and 6 chilies for hot.
- If you want to be a little bit more authentic then you can use ghee instead of oil.
- To make a full vegetarian Indian meal serve this chana masala along with our recipe for aloo gobi, some basmati rice, and of course some naan bread.
Chana Masala Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 15 oz. Cans of Chickpeas
3 Small red onions
2 Large tomatoes
2 Inches of fresh ginger
4 to 6 Cloves of garlic
5 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste
First spice mix:
2 Bay leaves
2 Green cardamom pods, crushed open
1 Stick of cinnamon
½ Teaspoon of ground mace
½ Teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
Second spice mix:
1 Teaspoon of garam masala, and red chili powder
½ Teaspoon of coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric powder
Garnish:
Cilantro, chopped
Red onion slices
Instructions
- Get to blending: Get out either a blender or a food processor. Then add in the onion, garlic, ginger, and ¼ cup of water. Blend/process all of these ingredients until they form a paste/sauce, and then set it aside.
Next, add the tomatoes and blend/process them until they form a paste/sauce, and set that aside.
- Make the masala: Get out a large pot, pour the oil into it, and place it over medium heat. Once the pot has heated toss in the first spice mix and saute for a minute.
Then add in the onion puree, stir it into the spices and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
Finally, add in both the tomato puree and the second spice mix. Stir everything up, reduce the heat to low, and let everything simmer with the lid on for roughly 10 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas: After the masala has cooked for 10 minutes, add in the chickpeas along with 1 to 2 cups of water (depending on how thick or thin you prefer). Mix this all up, place the lid back on the pot and let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
- Check the saltiness: After everything has cooked take a spoon and taste some of the chana masala. Then slowly add enough salt until it is to your liking
- Immediately serve the chana masala in a bowl with minced cilantro leaves and slices of red onion. Enjoy!
Chana Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 15 oz. Cans of Chickpeas
- 3 Small red onions
- 2 Large tomatoes
- 2 Inches of fresh ginger
- 4 to 6 Cloves of garlic
- 5 Tablespoons of oil
- Salt to taste
First spice mix:
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Green cardamom pods crushed open
- 1 Stick of cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon of ground mace
- ½ Teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
Second spice mix:
- 1 Teaspoon of garam masala and red chili powder
- ½ Teaspoon of coriander powder cumin powder, and turmeric powder
Garnish:
- Cilantro chopped
- Red onion slices
Instructions
- Get to blending: Get out either a blender or a food processor. Then add in the onion, garlic, ginger and ¼ cup of water. Blend/process all of these ingredients until they form a paste/sauce, and then set it aside. Next, add the tomatoes and blend/process them until they form a paste/sauce, and set that aside.
- Make the masala: Get out a large pot, pour the oil into it, and place it over medium heat. Once the pot has heated toss in the first spice mix and sautee for a minute. Then add in the onion puree, stir it into the spices and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add in both the tomato puree and the second spice mix. Stir everything up, reduce the heat to low, and let everything simmer with the lid on for roughly 10 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas: After the masala has cooked for 10 minutes, add in the chickpeas along with 1 to 2 cups of water (depending on how thick or thin you prefer). Mix this all up, place the lid back on the pot and let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
- Check the saltiness: After everything has cooked take a spoon and taste some of the chana masala. Then slowly add enough salt until it is to your liking
- Immediately serve the chana masala in a bowl with minced cilantro leaves and slices of red onion. Enjoy!
Inspiration from other blogs
From 101 Cookbooks
From The Curious Chickpea
