Chana Masala
North India's beloved chickpea curry — tender chickpeas simmered in a tangy, deeply spiced onion-tomato gravy with ginger, garlic and garam masala. Vegan, gluten-free and on the table in 40 minutes.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Temper the spices
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until the cumin darkens slightly and smells nutty.
Brown the onions
Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes until deep golden brown. Take your time here — well-browned onions give chana masala its rich colour and sweetness.
Add aromatics and spices
Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add the chili powder, coriander and turmeric with a splash of water to stop them burning, and stir for 30 seconds.
Cook the masala
Pour in the tomato purée with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate at the edges — the sign the masala is ready.
Simmer the chickpeas
Add the chickpeas and 250ml of water. Simmer for 12 minutes, lightly mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
Finish and serve
Stir in the garam masala and amchur (or lemon juice), then taste and adjust the salt. Scatter with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice, roti or bhature.
Temper the spices
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until the cumin darkens slightly and smells nutty.
Brown the onions
Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes until deep golden brown. Take your time here — well-browned onions give chana masala its rich colour and sweetness.
Add aromatics and spices
Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add the chili powder, coriander and turmeric with a splash of water to stop them burning, and stir for 30 seconds.
Cook the masala
Pour in the tomato purée with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate at the edges — the sign the masala is ready.
Simmer the chickpeas
Add the chickpeas and 250ml of water. Simmer for 12 minutes, lightly mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
Finish and serve
Stir in the garam masala and amchur (or lemon juice), then taste and adjust the salt. Scatter with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice, roti or bhature.
The Story Behind the Dish
Chickpeas have been grown on the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years, and India remains the world's largest producer. In Punjab, the fertile region straddling today's India and Pakistan, they became the heart of one of the most popular dishes in North Indian home cooking: chole, or chana masala.
After Partition in 1947, many Punjabi families resettled in Delhi and opened food stalls and restaurants. Chole bhature — spicy chickpeas with puffed, deep-fried bread — became one of the city's signature breakfasts, and chana masala spread with it to dhabas, railway stations and kitchens across India.
Today it's one of the most widely cooked vegetarian dishes in the world.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Chana masala is affordable, packed with plant protein and fibre, naturally vegan and deeply satisfying — the kind of everyday dish that tastes even better the next day.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Punjabi cooks simmer the chickpeas with a black tea bag. It adds no tea flavour but gives the gravy the deep, dark brown colour you see in Delhi's famous chole bhature stalls.
Punjab, North India
31.63°N, 74.87°E
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