Easy Chana Masala | Chickpeas Masala

Chana Masala recipe: Enjoy this delicious, flavorsome, hearty Indian meal made with protein-packed chickpeas, simmered in aromatic onion-tomato sauce. Serve this vegetarian chickpeas masala curry with steamed Basmati rice, or naan.

Easily, customizable, this recipe is vegan and gluten-free. Sharing, easy recipe using Instant Pot and stovetop pressure cooker. Also, find out how to make this recipe effortlessly using homemade bhuna masala (Indian curry sauce)!

Jump to:

• About Chana Masala
• What is chana masala made of?
• Prep for Chana Curry recipe
• Cook Chana Masala
• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Pressure Cooker Chickpea Chana recipe
• How to make chickpea masala using canned chickpeas?
• How to make chickpea chana recipe using homemade bhuna masala?
• How to store chana masala?
• Tips for Chickpea Chana recipe
• Why do you soak chickpeas? 
• What do you eat chana masala with?
• Indian Chickpeas Recipes
• Easy Chana Masala | Chickpeas Masala

About Chana Masala

Memories of my childhood in India flood back whenever the enticing aroma of my mom's chana masala fills the air, its distinctive flavor a hallmark. We savored this chickpea curry alongside fragrant basmati rice, puri (Indian puffed bread), or bhatura.

Chana Masala, also known as chole or chickpea curry, is a popular North Indian dish. Making a chickpea chana recipe involves two steps. First, the chickpeas are boiled and then simmered in an onion-tomato-based sauce or gravy, until it reaches a stew-like consistency.

There are many ways this recipe can be made, today I am sharing my mom's recipe, which I grew up devouring. It's the best and I must say an authentic preparation of chana masala recipe.

The key to making a delicious chana masala curry is how flavorful the sauce or gravy is. It starts with sautéing the veggies - onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, with some whole spices.

Next add dry spices - coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, and most importantly, the key ingredient "garam masala". Garam masala is a blend of whole spices, dry roasted, and ground to a coarse powder. I prefer to use homemade garam masala, however, the store-bought one works just fine.

Alternatively, you can also use some store-bought "chana masala". I prefer to use the homemade garam masala, works wonders in this recipe.

Finish it off with some dried mango powder (amchur, or amchoor) for the tanginess and some crushed dried pomegranate seeds (anardana).

Enjoy this thick, stew-like consistency curry that’s an extremely flavorful, easy, one-pot meal, with the perfect blend of spices, and a completely hearty, healthy plant-based meal.

Serve this chickpeas masala curry with Naan, puri, or steamed rice (cauliflower rice for a gluten-free option). You can also pair it with Aloo Gobi (cauliflower potato curry) as a side dish.

What is chana masala made of?

Here are the ingredients used in making chana masala recipe:

• dried chickpeas (chana or garbanzo beans) 
• water (for soaking the beans & cooking)
• red or yellow onion
• tomato
• ginger
• garlic
• green chili
• oil
• baking soda (optional)
• salt

Dry Spices:

• turmeric
• red chili powder
• homemade garam masala
• coriander powder
• dry mango powder (amchur)
• dry whole pomegranate seeds (anardhana)
• asafetida, (hing)

Whole Spices:

• cumin seeds (jeera)
• caraway seeds (ajwain)
• dried bay leaf

For Spice Pouch:

• tea leaves (optional)
• whole black cardamom
• whole green cardamom 
• cinnamon sticks 
• whole cloves

For Garnish:

• cilantro
• lemon or lime
• onion

Pic Shown: Indian Food Chana Masala

Prep for Chana Curry recipe

Soak the chickpeas:

Soaking the beans is optional. However, I always prefer to soak the beans before cooking, for good reasons. There are two ways you can soak the beans:

Overnight Soaking:

Rinse the beans thoroughly, and discard any stones, debris, or bad beans. Soak in ample water overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.

When beans rehydrate they almost double in size. I soak one cup of beans in 3 cups of water, thus making sure there is enough water for the beans to re-hydrate.

Quick Soaking: 

There are times when I forget to soak the beans and still want to make for dinner. How do I do it? Yes, you can still easily cook the beans. I find this method very helpful.

Add beans and water to a pot, and bring it to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let it sit in hot water for an hour. After 1 hour, the beans will be ready to be cooked. You can also pressure cook the beans on high heat for "1 whistle" or "1 minute" in Instant Pot, followed by natural pressure release.

Chop the veggies:

Chop onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic

Make a spice pouch:

A spice pouch is added for additional flavor and a dark brown color curry. The spice pouch consists of dried tea leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom, a small piece of cinnamon stick, and some cloves. You can add these whole spices, at the time of sautéing as well. However, I prefer to add them to a spice pouch. 

I use this mesh tea ball infuser for making the spice pouch.

Pic Shown: Spice Pouch

Instead of a tea ball infuser, you can use muslin cloth or cheesecloth to make a spice pouch at home. Add all the ingredients to the cloth, and tie a knot. The spice pouch is ready to be used.

Cook Chana Masala

Making chana masala recipe requires some pre-planning and some prep work. The rest of the process is quite simple and pretty straightforward.

Once you have soaked chickpeas and have all the veggies chopped, you can make this chickpea chana recipe in under an hour.

You can make chana masala in Instant Pot or on a stovetop pressure cooker. I have shared both the ways of cooking in this post.

Prep for Chana Masala recipe:

Pick any stones or debris from the chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas couple of times. Soak the chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight.

Drain, and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Chop all the veggies - onion, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, green chili.

Instant Pot Chana Masala

Turn ON the sauté mode (more), when it displays "HOT", add oil.

Add cumin seeds, caraway seeds, bay leaf, and onions,  and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are slightly brown.

Add garlic, and sauté for a minute or so, until the raw smell of the garlic is no more.

Now add tomato puree, ginger, green chili, dry spices - coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, dried mango powder, coarsely ground pomegranate seeds, and salt to taste.

Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the tomato puree.

Add the drained and rinsed, chickpeas, spice pouch, a pinch of baking soda (optional), and salt to taste. Add water, and deglaze the pot.

Turn OFF sauté mode. Turn ON Pressure cook / Manual mode (high) for 40 minutes with a vent on the sealing position. If using baking soda, reduce the cooking time to 25 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally, around 10 minutes.

Open Instant Pot, and remove the spice pouch. 

Using the back of your ladle slightly mash the chickpeas. This gives a nice thick, stew-like consistency.

Add garam masala, and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix well.

Note: If the chickpeas are not soft, pressure cooks the chole for a few additional minutes.

Turn ON sauté mode, mix well. Bring it to a gentle boil, around 2-3 minutes.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Chana Masala

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more chili powder for heat or dry mango powder for a tangy flavor. You can also add some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Turn OFF sauté mode. Garnish with some fresh cilantro, some onion slices, and lemon wedges. Serve hot with naan, bhatura (Indian fried flatbread), or rice.

Pic Shown: Chana Masala dish

Pressure Cooker Chickpea Chana recipe

Heat oil in the pressure cooker on medium-high heat.

Add cumin seeds, caraway seeds, bay leaf, and onions,  and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are slightly brown.

Add garlic, and sauté for a minute or so, until the raw smell of the garlic is no more.

Now add tomato puree, ginger, green chili, dry spices - coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, dried mango powder, coarsely ground pomegranate seeds, and salt to taste.

Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the tomato puree.

Add the drained and rinsed, chickpeas, spice pouch, a pinch of baking soda (optional), and salt to taste. Add water, and deglaze the pot.

Close the pressure cooker with weights on and pressure cook on high. After the first whistle, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Note: If using baking soda, reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally, around 20 minutes.

Open the pressure cooker, and remove the spice pouch.

Using the back of your ladle slightly mash the chickpeas. This gives a nice thick, stew-like consistency.

Add garam masala, and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix well.

Note: If the chickpeas are not soft, pressure cooks the chole for a few additional minutes.

Bring chickpea chana recipe to a gentle boil, around 2-3 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more chili powder for heat or dry mango powder for a tangy flavor. You can also add some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Turn OFF the heat. Garnish with some fresh cilantro, some onion slices, and lemon wedges. Serve hot with naan, bhatura (Indian fried flatbread), or rice.

Pic shown: recipe of chana masala

How to make chickpea masala using canned chickpeas?

Yes, canned chickpeas work just fine. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, since chickpeas are already cooked, all they need is to absorb the flavors from the sauce/gravy. Also, reduce the amount of water to half, since you only need water for the sauce/gravy.

1. Follow the recipe for making the sauce.
2. Add rinsed and drained, canned chickpeas, and fresh water. Mix well.
3. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high in an Instant Pot ( or on a stovetop pressure cooker for 1 whistle, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes).
4. Allow natural pressure release.

How to make chickpea chana recipe using homemade bhuna masala?

You can skip the sautéing onion-tomato masala and use my homemade bhuna masala, to make this chickpea masala in a jiffy. I make a batch of this curry sauce over the weekend, to whip some easy and delicious meals in no time.

I simply mix ¾ cup of the bhuna masala, with chana, add salt and water, and pressure cook. Honestly, it just can't get easier than this. Do give it a try and let me know in the comments how it turned out.

Is garam masala and chana masala the same?

No, they are different spice blends. Garam masala is used in many Indian curries, whereas chana masala is specifically used for chickpea masala curry.

Garam masala is a unique blend of spices, dry roasted, and grind to a coarse powder. Freshly ground garam masala adds a whole lot of flavors as compared to the packed, store-bought ones.

I prefer homemade garam masala, it is very easy to make and with just a few ingredients, and honestly, in less than 10 minutes, you can make this fresh, aromatic garam masala at home.

You can make garam masala in a small quantity and store it in an air-tight container. It will stay fresh for a long.

How to store chana masala?

Store leftover chickpeas curry in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

The Chickpea chana recipe freezes well for up to a month. Allow it to cool completely, and store it in air-tight freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags. Defrost, reheat, and serve.

Pic Shown: Chana Curry

Tips for Chickpea Chana recipe

I prefer to soak the chickpeas. It allows for a more even and softer texture and also beans absorb flavors well as compared to the dried ones.

Tea is optional, it gives a nice dark color to chickpea curry.

You can use tea bags instead of loose tea leaves. Just add 1-2 tea bags while pressure cooking. Remove the tea bags once the chickpeas are pressure cooked.

Baking soda is optional. It helps cut back on the cooking time and the chickpeas turn out soft, tender, melt-in-mouth. If using baking soda, cook the chickpeas for 25 minutes, without baking soda cook for 40 minutes.

Cooking beans is always very tricky, many times if the beans are aged or old they take longer to cook even if it's been soaked overnight. If the beans are not cooked in the recommended cooking time, allow an extra 5-10 minutes of pressure cooking time.

Chili powder and garam masala contribute to the spiciness of this dish. You can increase or decrease the spiciness by adding more or less of these two spices.

For a milder version, you can skip the red chili powder. However, I highly recommend not skipping on garam masala as it adds tons of flavor to this dish. You can reduce the quantity of garam masala, but you still will enjoy great flavors.

Why do you soak chickpeas? 

Soaking chickpeas is not required but I prefer to soak the chickpeas before cooking for good reasons. It helps break down some of the complex sugars that can make beans hard for some people to digest.

Soaking the beans reduces the cooking times and also cleans them more thoroughly (since beans cannot be washed before being sold or they can turn moldy).

What do you eat chana masala with?

Chickpea Chana masala recipe goes well with naan, Indian fried bread puri, bhatura, or rice.

Indian Chickpeas Recipes