Traveling. Why do we travel?
It’s so challenging and tiring and I constantly have to manage my expectations before we ever get there. And especially when we arrive (like when we show up in Croatia and it’s cold and windy and loud) and I get sick.
That sounded negative. But no, it’s honesty. If you haven’t noticed, even though traveling is hard sometimes, we still love it, travel often, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to do so. In fact, we’re hopeful to spend more time traveling this year and I cannot wait.
Despite its challenges, traveling does one big thing for me: It inspires. Pretty much every meal we sit down to is an opportunity to learn about a new culture. How wonderful.
This recipe was inspired by a meal we stumbled upon in Oslo, Norway. Despite it being quite cold and windy and the shops being closed because it was a Sunday (manage expectations, Dana, manage expectations…), we found this amazing Indian restaurant where I enjoyed one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Yes, big claims! And it’s all because of their chana masala (and mango chutney…oh my word).
About Chana Masala
Chana masala, also called chole masala, is believed to have originated in northern India. “Chana” means chickpea and “masala” refers to a blend of spices used in Indian cooking.
It’s a popular dish throughout India and Pakistan, with recipes varying by region. And it’s also gained popularity around the world. The following is our inspired version resembling what we’ve tasted in restaurants. You can find a more traditional preparation here.
How to Make Chana Masala
Our version is made with green chilies, onion, garlic, fresh cilantro, a blend of spices, chickpeas, and tomatoes. It can be prepared a number of different ways, but I chose the simple route: 1 pot and about 30 minutes required.
It starts with onion and cumin. Next comes a paste of green chilis, ginger, garlic, and fresh cilantro. The bulk of the flavor comes from coriander, chili powder, and ground turmeric. Chickpeas add plenty of fiber, texture, and protein, and puréed tomatoes add body and richness.
The magical step that takes this dish from love it to GIVE ME ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW is the garam masala (I include a simple DIY blend below), and fresh lemon juice.
The result is a thick, stew-like curry that’s extremely flavorful, easy to make, not overly spicy, and the perfect hearty plant-based meal.
Enjoy this dish on its own, over rice, cauliflower rice, or – my personal favorite – over roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli (easy recipe below). I know, it sounds weird, but it’s SO good, and another way to get more plants into your diet.
If you try this dish, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see all your beautiful creations. Cheers, friends!
Easy Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp grape seed oil (or sub coconut oil)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (divided // plus more to taste)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (6 cloves yield ~3 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 fresh green chilies, sliced with seeds (I used serrano peppers // reduce amount if you prefer less heat)
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 28-ounce can pureed or finely diced tomatoes (if unsalted, you’ll add more salt to the dish)
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, slightly drained
- 1 tsp garam masala* (see instructions for DIY blend)
- 2-3 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, cumin, and one-third of the salt (1/4 tsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Add garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chilies to a mortar and pestle and grind into a rough paste (or use a small food processor to pulse into a paste. Alternatively, just finely mince.) Then, add to the pan with the onions.
- Next add ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to coat. Add a little more oil at this point if the pan is looking dry.
- Next add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining salt (1/2 tsp as original recipe is written). If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup (240 ml) water (I added ~1/2 cup (120 ml) // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
- Increase heat to medium high until it reaches a rolling simmer, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and maintain a simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, or until thick and stew-like. Stir occasionally.
- In the meantime, if you don’t have garam masala seasoning, make your own by adding (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) 2 small dried red chilies, 1 tsp black peppercorns (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper), 1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin), 1 tsp cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom), 1/2 tsp cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves), and 1/8 tsp nutmeg to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind/mix into a powder. Set aside.
- When the chana masala is thickened and bubbly, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, chili powder for heat, or a bit of coconut sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.
- Remove from heat and add lemon juice and garam masala. Stir to mix, then let cool slightly before serving. Fresh cilantro and lemon juice make an excellent garnish. Chana masala can be enjoyed as a stew on its own, or it can be delicious with white or brown rice (see my favorite method here), or cauliflower rice. Lastly, my favorite is over roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli (see notes for instructions).
- Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*To roast sweet potatoes and broccoli, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), and chop broccoli into chunks and sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. Add to a bare or foil-lined baking sheet and top with 1 Tbsp grape seed oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss to combine, making sure sweet potatoes are evenly coated with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes total, flipping/tossing near the halfway point to ensure even baking. Broccoli may cook faster than the sweet potatoes.
*Recipe adapted from The Guardian.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Kar says
I am so impressed with myself LOL this came out just so good — (I am a big Indian food fan and know good Indian food) but this was perfect for my tastes. I followed the recipe but omitted the salt and added some fresh spinach. Thank you for this delight!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Laura says
Really good flavour without needing too many ingredients. I didn’t grind or blend the ginger, garlic, chilies etc but just chopped them. Turned out great.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Laura!
Mike says
As a white heterosexual male Let me tell you everything was correct EXCEPT: you must toast the spices before putting them in the mortar and pestle. Once you smell their fragrant smell you can crush them.
M says
I DEFINITELY recommend diced tomatoes instead of tomato puree. I’ve made this a handful of times and I usually use diced but last night I had to use puree, and whewwww, I couldn’t even finish my meal. Way too thick and tomato-ey and acidic, especially with the lemon juice. I think it would have been better with some coconut cream to cut the acidity. It was so thick that when it bubbled it splattered all over the stove, I had to add over a cup of water to make it stop doing that. It also seemed like way too much tomato for the amount of chickpeas. I think I could have used a smaller can. This is the best and easiest chana masala recipe I’ve come across!
We’re so glad you usually enjoy it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Deborah says
Would adding a small can of coconut cream to this be wrong?!
We think it would be delicious! More like a curry.
Beth says
Yummy, delicious, nutritious! My favorite. I actually crave it now. I am newly vegetarian (about two years now) and it has made the transition so much easier! I have been putting it over butter nut squash and broccoli instead of the sweet potatoes recently. YUMMY!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Beth! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Mona says
Amazing recipe! After making it a few times made these changes that I believe made it tastier:
1. No chilli powder or pepper so my Kids (6 & 3) can eat it too (they loved it). Even with no heat the dish tastes amazing. I think it might not really need the peppers (coming from someone that loves spicy food)
2. Added a tablespoon of vegetable base and added no salt
3. Only 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes. 28oz is too much IMO
4. Added an extra can of chickpeas since otherwise it would have too much broth
5. 2 tbsp of dried fenugreek
6. Smashed the chickpeas partially at the end
Thank you for this fabulous and healthy recipe! This is a regular in our rotation now!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Mona!
Brittany says
Loved this so much! I made a few adjustments to the recipe:
I used fresh chickpeas that I cooked beforehand in the pressure cooker.
Instead of cumin powder I swapped it for seeds, I did 1:1 and it was delicious.
I did need 4 Tbls total of oil instead of the three.
Fresh tomatoes instead of can.
For the chili powder I used Indian chili powder (we have an Indian market nearby).
With the types of alterations I made I really don’t think making this as is would be wildly different. I’m actually game to lighten the load next time to use the canned ingredients.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Brittany! Thank you for sharing!
Jr says
So good and healthy!! Made this for lunch today with a dollop of yogurt and Trader Joe’s frozen naan.
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review!
Rebecca says
Hi, this was delicious! I have one piece of feedback for consideration- I found the “prep” time to be really misleading- not sure how one could finely dice an onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro and assemble the ingredients in 5 minutes. It would help to have a more accurate sense of prep time. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, so glad you enjoyed this recipe overall! We will look to the recipe to see if there’s any way to make improvements! Thank you for your feedback.
Katie Green says
This is a family favorite at our house. Would you adjust anything for an instant pot preparation? I prefer the texture of dried chickpeas cooked in the instant pot. Thank you for your wonderful vegan recipes!
Hi Katie, we’re so glad to hear it’s a family favorite! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! If using dried chickpeas, we’d recommend soaking them overnight in water, then draining. Add them at the same time you would add the canned chickpeas, but you’ll probably need to pressure cook on high ~15 minutes and may liquid (broth or water) to prevent a burn warning. Also, just note that sometimes dry beans will have trouble softening in an acidic liquid. Let us know if you try it!
Beth says
Super delicious! I love slow simmer recipes like this, because I can make them for dinner in the summer without putting in a ton of effort. I served mine over leftover buttered rice :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beth! Thank you for sharing! xo
Laura says
Made this for dinner tonight. It was so delicious! I was skeptical at first that I could make an Indian dish at home that actually tastes good. I think the pepper/garlic/ginger/cilantro paste is what really turns this into something special. I will definitely be making this again.
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Laura!
Karen says
SOOOOO GOOD. Even better as leftovers after the flavors meld.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Karen!
Jessica says
How large is a serving?
1 cup?
About 1 1/2 cups.
Paris says
Yummy simple recipe! I wanted to use pantry stuff on a rainy day in so I subbed the chiles for a green curry paste that I had (with ~50% green chiles in it)! I think the recipe was great! I used a food processor to mince the garlic etc. :)
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Paris. Thank you for sharing! xo
Danielle says
This was so dang good!!!!!!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Danielle! xoxo
Isa says
Did not use Chili (didn’t have it) and cilantro (hate it!). I only had 20 ounces of chickpeas. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written and it was a hit
Thank you for sharing, Isa!
Lauren says
This recipe was so delicious and doable- and I had never made an Indian recipe before. I added only one chili this time and it still had ample heat. I also made my own Garam masala for the first time ever and it was so simple! I JUST had it for breakfast on the second day and enjoyed it even more. Will be making this again for sure!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lauren! Thank you for sharing! xo
Heather says
This recipe was okay. It wasn’t as flavorful or spicy as I would have liked it.
Sorry to hear that, Heather! Is it possible any of your spices are on the older side (6+ months) and not as potent anymore? Feel free to add more to taste!
Pamela says
Awesome dish with intense flavors. I serve it with a side of yogurt and omit the sugar. Love this recipe.
Yay, thanks so much for the review, Pamela! So glad you enjoy this recipe!