Chana Masala
Chickpeas simmered low and slow in a dark, tangy masala, sharpened with amchur and anardana until every one is coated.
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off as you prep.
Cooking steps
Soak the kabuli chana completely submerged in water for 8 to 10 hours.
Quarter the tomato and blitz it in a mixer until smooth; pass through a strainer if you prefer a silkier puree.
Drain the soaked chana and transfer it to a pot with enough fresh water and salt. Cook until the chana is soft enough to mash easily between your fingers, adding more water as needed. Set the cooked chana aside.
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, and bay leaf and stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato puree along with the turmeric, coriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, black pepper powder, anardana powder, amchur, and garam masala. Sauté until the mixture deepens to a dark brown colour; the anardana and amchur help achieve this characteristic hue. Add the kala namak and stir to combine.
Add the cooked chickpeas to the masala and stir well so every piece is evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt and spice levels. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the chana is well coated with the masala and has developed a deep brown outer layer. Give a final taste check before setting aside.
Chana Masala
- The dark colour comes from the anardana and amchur, not from browning harder. Let the masala deepen at its own pace; chasing the colour on a high flame just scorches the spices.
- Cook the chana until it mashes easily between your fingers. Anything firmer will not take on the masala during the simmer, and extra simmering will not rescue it.
- Keep the chickpea cooking water. It is starchy and loosens the masala later without watering down the flavour.
- Tinned chickpeas: two 400 g tins, drained. Skip the soak and the boil, start at the masala, and simmer 15 minutes instead of 30.
- Lemon juice for amchur: half a teaspoon stirred in at the end. You lose a little of the dark colour and keep the sourness.
- A black tea bag in the boiling water is the traditional trick for a deeper brown without adding more spice.
- Keeps 4 days refrigerated and is better on the second day. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water when reheating.
- Freezes for 2 months. If you know it is going in the freezer, cook the chana slightly under; it softens further on reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chana masala in a pressure cooker?
Yes, for the chickpeas. Pressure cook the soaked chana with water and salt until it mashes easily between your fingers, usually 5 to 6 whistles. Then make the masala in a pan and simmer the two together as written.
Can I skip the overnight soak?
Not with dried chana. Eight hours is the minimum or the centres stay hard. Use tinned chickpeas if you are short of time.
How much protein is in chana masala?
A serving of this recipe has about 10.6 g of protein and 10.9 g of fibre at around 216 kcal, with only a little oil. Serve it with rice or roti for a full meal.
What goes with it?
Bhature, poori or plain rice, with sliced onion and a wedge of lemon on the side.
Why is mine pale?
Either the anardana and amchur were left out, or the masala was not sautéed long enough before the chana went in. That browning step is the whole colour.
