Chana Masala Curry Recipe
Learn how to make authentic chana masala curry using canned chickpeas. This hearty and flavourful Indian dish is perfect for vegetarians.
Servings: 2
Calories: 179kcal
Equipment
- stockpot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 can (approx 400g) chickpeas (chana)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable refined oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (get recipe)
- ½ Cup canned diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt or to taste
- 1 ¼ Cup water
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala (get recipe)
- 2 green chillies sliced (optional)
- handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Begin by draining and rinsing the canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water. This helps remove excess sodium and any preservatives used in the canning process.
- Let them sit on a colander. Gently pat with a kitchen paper towel.
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. This process takes about 5 – 6 minutes and is crucial for developing the base flavour of the curry.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, ground spices except garam masala, salt, and diced tomatoes. Sauté for an additional 2 – 3 minutes until the curry masala base comes together.
- Once the curry base is well-cooked, add the rinsed chickpeas to the pot. Stir to coat the chickpeas evenly with the spiced tomato mixture.
- Pour in the water. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. This allows the chickpeas to absorb the flavours of the spices. If the curry becomes too thick, add more water or coconut milk to get the desired consistency.
- After simmering, check the seasoning of the chana curry and adjust salt or spice levels as needed. Add the garam masala, sliced green chillies (optional), lemon juice, and half of the chopped coriander, and stir well.
- Serve chana masala curry with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, peas pulao or soft, pillowy naan bread.
Notes
- For cooking the chana curry you can use refined oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
- Canned or pre cooked chickpeas are fine for making this Indian curry.
- Instead of canned diced tomatoes you can use freshly chopped ripe, red juicy tomatoes also. They will give a better taste to the curry.
- If you are not comfortable with the heat of spices, add a splash of thick coconut milk towards the end or reduce the quantity of ground spices.
- The lemon juice and Garam Masala are always added towards the end and not while cooking the curry.
Nutrition
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1421mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg