Chana Masala Curry
- Joe S.
- Mar 5, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 4, 2021
A traditional and easy to make curry dish, with chickpeas and spices, that is 100% vegan, dairy/gluten free, and delicious!
Prep time: less than 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 45 minutes
Servings: about 6 cups
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free and Vegan
I love Chana Masala. It is not only very easy to make but absolutely healthy and delicious! It is vegan, gluten free, fat free, dairy free, soy free, loaded with nutrients and the ingredients are available in almost every country around the world.
This dish is bold and full of spices associated with the Indian Subcontinent. It is a favorite of mine and truly captures what curries are all about: bold flavors and bright colors!
You can make it as mild as you want or as spicy as you can handle. Either way, it is just delicious.
Serve over rice, alone, or as a wrap filling. Perfect family dinner that requires minimal effort on your part.
What is the flavor profile?
Bold, herbaceous, spicy, tangy, and savory with citric notes.
What ingredients will I need to make Chana Masala?
Canned chickpeas, onions, garlic paste, ginger paste, garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, vegetable oil, Thai or jalapeño peppers, a red bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, limes, salt, pepper, and fresh cilantro.
What else will I need to make this?
A large pot, measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board, a knife, and a wooden spoon.
Can I make substitutions?
Yes...you can use garlic and ginger paste. I do and it saves me a lot of time.
Also, if you do not want to use canned chickpeas, you can use fresh ones. All you have to do is soak them overnight and then use a pressure cooker to soften them. It takes a bit longer but the results will be practically the same.
What is Chana Masala?
Chana masala literally 'mix-spiced small-chickpeas'), also known as channay, chole masala, chhole masala, chole or chholay (plural), is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent.
The main ingredient is a variety of chickpea called chana or kala chana ('black chana'). They are half the diameter of typical chickpeas with a stronger flavour and firmer texture even after being cooked. Chole is the name for the larger and lighter coloured chickpea commonly found in the West. These are known as kabuli chana (काबुली चना) in Hindustani.
Chana masala is fairly dry and spicy with a sour citrus note (the flavor usually comes from coriander and onion). Chana are usually replaced by chole in most restaurants, and both versions are widely sold as snack food and street food in the Indian subcontinent.
Source: Wikipedia
What are Chickpeas?
The chickpea or chick pea is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea.
Chickpea seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, and 7500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Chickpea is a key ingredient in hummus and chana masala, and it can be ground into a flour to make falafel. It is also used in salads, soups and stews, curry and other meal products like channa. The chickpea is important in Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. In 2018, India accounted for 66% of global chickpea production.
Source: Wikipedia
Are Chickpeas good for me?
Chickpeas are a nutrient-dense food, providing rich content (20% or higher of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, dietary fiber, folate, and certain dietary minerals, such as iron and phosphorus in a 100 gram reference amount (see adjacent nutrition table). Thiamin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc contents are moderate, providing 10–16% of the DV.
Compared to reference levels established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, proteins in cooked and germinated chickpeas are rich in essential amino acids such as lysine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and total aromatic amino acids.
A 100-gram (3 1⁄2-ounce) reference serving of cooked chickpeas provides 686 kilojoules (164 kilocalories) of food energy. Cooked chickpeas are 60% water, 27% carbohydrates, 9% protein and 3% fat (table). 75% of the fat content is unsaturated fatty acids for which linoleic acid comprises 43% of the total fat.
Source: Wikipedia
What is Garam Masala
Garam Masala is a blend of ground spices, originating from South Asia, common in Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Afghan cuisines. It is used alone or with other seasonings.
A typical Indian version of garam masala contains (with Hindi names in parenthesis):
Bay leaves (tej patta)
Black and white peppercorns (kali/safed mirch)
Cloves (laung)
Cinnamon or cassia bark (darchini)
Mace (outer covering of nutmeg) (javitri)
Black and green cardamom pods (elaichi)
Cumin (jeera)
Coriander (dhania)
Red chili powder (laal mirch)
INGREDIENTS
30 or 32 ounces of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
28 ounces of crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper or 3 Thai peppers, seeded and chopped, optional
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of garlic paste or 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of ginger paste or fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon of garam masala
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of turmeric
2 teaspoons of cumin
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
fresh cilantro (coriander)
3 limes
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and red bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir until the garlic becomes fragrant and then add the crush tomatoes, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, bay leaves, 1.5 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix all well.
Add the chickpeas and stir well.
Reduce heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 35 minutes. Stir often.
Taste for salt and adjust if needed.
Add the chopped chili and let it cook uncover for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Serve with rice. Top with fresh cilantro (coriander) and lime wedges.
Enjoy!!!
Printable recipe (PDF) below:
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