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 grapeseed, coconut, or avocado oil (or other neutral 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 puréed*, crushed, 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 (or other sweetener of choice)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (plus more to taste // optional)
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
*Though not traditional, if you don’t have fresh chiles, you can use ~1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
*DIY Garam Masala adapted from The Kitchn.
*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.
Amy says
This recipe is a new staple at my house! I’ve been craving a good chana masala and decided to give this a try even though I didn’t have all the ingredients. Used calabrian peppers and parsley instead of serranos and cilantro. Even with the italian-style substitutions, it was delicious! Will try with the right ingredients for the next batch
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Amy! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Steve says
One word!
Yum…yum yum yum yum yum yum yum!
I have been searching for a restaurant quality recipe for Chana Masala ages and now I have it.
Just a quick question if I may, of all the oils you could use for this recipe why grape seed?
I use grape seed oil a lot but I have never associated it with Indian cuisine.
Hi Steve, we’re so glad you enjoyed it. We used grapeseed due to its neutral flavor. But avocado oil or even olive oil would work. Hope that helps!
Gregg says
Adding sugar to offset heat of chilis? Why not just reduce amount of chilis? I had a friend that use to make homemade salsa. He always added honey, “to offset the heat of the jalapenos.” I like honey and all that, but I don’t believe it has any business in my salsa. I made my own salsa and left out any sugar while just using one less jalapeno. I will do the same with this recipe. It says 2-3 serrano, so I will use 1-1.5 serrano and no added sugar.
Hi Gregg, we find it balances the other flavors. But feel free to reduce chilis instead!
Yasmin says
Thank you, I made this for iftar today. To have it with biryani. My family really enjoyed it and I added a little extra spice as we like everything spicy. Great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Yasmin! Thanks so much for sharing!
Amy says
Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. I made it to the letter, except adding the cilantro just before serving. I tripled the recipe, and it comes out great from the freezer.
Ted nancy says
Thanks for the simple recipe. I made Chana masala last week and it was delicious. I made few tweaks after looking at a video of Indian street foods.
1) I added black tea which gave it a beautiful dark brown color and a bit of nice tang taste like served in Indian on the street. They call it cholay.
2) I used ‘Indian Magic Mix’ spice blend from Inner Flame Kitchen (organic and GF) which I got from a kickstarter project. Apparently you can make many Indian curries with this blend. It was just perfect for chana masala.
3) I used mustard oil
Kristen says
Absolutely delicious! Packed with flavour. I tried this recipe when I was in university, and i still continue to make it. Pretty sure I’ve got the recipe memorized at this point! :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kristen. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Melissa says
I made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! Served with basmati rice, cauliflower rice, roasted sweet potatoes, white potatoes and broccoli. Didn’t use the full amount of fresh green chilies or add sugar.
Surprised by how simple this recipe is and how well it turned out! Someone in my family said “I thought this would be good but I didn’t expect it to be this amazing.” Will definitely make this again!
Carolyn says
I have made this multiple times with canned Chickpeas. Today I’m using chickpeas I soaked overnite to use half for falafel and the other half to cook for this. YUM
Ellen says
I wanted to stay as close to your recipe as possible, while using what I already had. I had 1 and a half jalapeños, so I used those. I have coconut oil, so I used that. I don’t have coconut sugar, so I had to sub white sugar. Everything else I had on hand! Some of my spices are old, so I had to add more and toast my garam Masala to wake it up. But it turned out fantastic! Now I want to get some fresh spices!!
CALEIGH says
Delicious! I did not have green chillies or serrano peppers, but the dish was spicy without them. I added sour cream at the end to make sure it would not be too spicy for my guests. I believe I added close to a cup of sour cream. Also, I pureed the dish. I was very pleased with the end result, thanks for the recipe!
Maddie says
This was so good! I have never had much luck trying to create Indian dishes, something with the spice manipulation or something. I followed the recipe almost exactly, except I did not have cilantro (this was a bummer), puréed 1 can of stewed tomatoes, added cauliflower, and added 2-3 tbsp of unsweetened coconut-almond creamer. I halved the recipe, and even with preparing 1/2 of the Garam masala, I still ended up with about 1 tsp (I subbed some paprika for the chili’s, so this may have done it), and I ended up adding about 3/4 of a teaspoon. I used 1 large jalapeño, and it was a little spicy for me, so the creamer really helped bring the heat down to what I would consider about a medium spice level. Actually measuring the spices helped a lot with the flavor profile for me, so this may have been my issue in the past. It’s so yummy, I keep going back for more! Extra points for being quick and easy!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Maddie! We’er so glad you enjoyed it!
Michelle says
Delicious! Omitted cilantro since I’m not a fan and green chilies to reduce spice. Otherwise followed the recipe and it was SO easy to whip together for a tasty last minute dinner with pantry essentials. Will definitely make again!
Eric says
6 tablespoons of olive oil + 1 butter
white onion
28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes and 1 284 ml can of tomato red pepper soup
1 tablespoon some kind of starch for thickening.
Post 20 minute of low temperature boiling of tomato ingredients:
1 tbsp & 1 tsp of British class tandoori masala seasoning
2 Curry leave stems. inserted with leaves post tomato boil for 6-8 minutes then removed
1 19 oz chickpeas
juice from half a lemon
no added sugar
Rest of ingredients same.
I cooked it for at least 45 minutes added only an eight of a teaspoon of garam masala @ 40 minute.
Then I let it further reduce
Judy says
I have not made this recipe yet. I only have ground ginger, not fresh. Can it work in place of fresh, just this time?
Help please,
Judy
Hi Judy, it won’t be quite as flavorful, but there’s enough other flavors in this recipe that it will still probably taste good!
KaLinda Primeaux says
I’ve made this recipe about 3-4, and it’s delicious! So many anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly ingredients, and I always feel really good about eating it. :) Thank you!
Mawmawking says
Delicious and easy. I only had dried spices and it was still amazing. I puréed the tomatoes and the chickpeas. I made fresh tortillas. I put some sauce over chicken legs with back attacked and cooked slowly together, and for my daughter who will only eat chicken breast, I diced and fried up Chicken breast and she put the sauce on it with her tortilla. So yummy and flavourful. A definite keeper!
ES says
Delicious! Served it with crispy Bombay Potatoes and shredded carrots soaked in lemon. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow, imagine it will be even yummier then. Will definitely be making it again and again…..
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
AJ says
Hi, I was wondering how much dry chickpeas I should use in place of the canned chickpeas.
Hi AJ, we haven’t tried it with dry, but would estimate about 1 cup.
Carl Millender says
You have to let the chickpeas soak in water overnight pour out water then preferably one day until they sprout. Rinsing every 4 hours. Then use four cup fulls. And cook about 15 mins longer than the canned peas
Laura says
This was delicious! The flavors are beautifully complex and come together nicely. I’m not a fan of spice, so I used a poblano pepper instead to get a little flavor without the heat. Bonus, my house smells amazing!
Avia says
I have made this too many times to count and absolutely love it, it’s my go-to comfort food dish, quick easy and delicious! One (tongue in cheek) question though – being a Brit I call “cilantro” coriander – why do you call ground coriander “coriander” and fresh coriander “cilantro”?! :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Not sure why we call it cilantro here in the US, but that’s the common term here =)
Saundra says
Cilantro is the plant. Coriander are the seeds. This recipe has both!
Laurie says
This dish is very flavorful and I will make it again. I followed the recipe almost exactly except I substituted brown sugar for coconut sugar and used coconut oil. I also served it over the roasted sweet potato and broccoli per your suggestion and it was delicious. My one criticism is the dish was a little too spicy using 2 serrano peppers (and we do like spicy but it overcame the other flavors a little) so next time I will use just 1. Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback, Laurie!
Kerry says
I made this last night without the green Chile (because I didn’t have any) and it was out of this world delicious. My family loved it and it’s going into heavy rotation. I can’t wait to make it with all the ingredients.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kerry. We are so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sharon Matthews says
I made this just the way it said but I did not have coconut sugar, but I used brown sugar and it tasted great. Very spicy but our family loves that. I would make this again and share with a friend. 2 thumbs up for me.
Kiera says
This was AMAZING! it wasn’t hard to make and it tasted delicious. will be making again!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kiera. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Blanca says
Best chanas I’ve ever had!!! Absolutely loved this recipe will definitely make many many more times!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Blanca! Thanks for sharing!
Kathy says
Made it as specified but added 2 more cans of chickpeas. Was I ever glad –everyone went back for extra helpings! The sweet potato rounds were an inspired choice– who knew they would compliment the chana so beautifully? This recipe is a definite keeper!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kathy! xo
Katrina says
This was way too spicy for me and my family. I’m not usually a spice wimp, so I used 2.5 small Serrano peppers. Maybe I should have sautéed them longer? Any idea how to tone this pot of stew down now that it is cooked? I’m going to have to throw it out if not. The basic flavor is good, just too spicy!
Hi Katrina, sorry to hear that! Maybe it was an extra spicy pepper? You could add coconut milk to tone it down. Hope that helps!
Diane Barghouthy says
Yogurt is always handy for toning down spice.
Roopika Subramanian says
Any Indian masala if spicy or salt can be ruined down by adding curry boiled potatoes. It will go well with any curry without changing the taste.
Rachel says
Chana masala was one of the first Indian dishes I tried, and I’ve always wanted to try to make it on my own! I really liked this recipe! I did change some things to save time though for the first time. I used a slow cooker so I could make a bigger batch and basically doubled all of the spices and veggies (I ended up not having coriander unfortunately, so I did have to leave that out). I also used just one serrano pepper because I lost my heat tolerance, haha, one was enough. I let it go on high for about 4 hours while I got my Sunday chores done (I also left out the onion until the last 45 minutes or so because I like crunchier veggies). I’m sure you could do it for less because nothing is raw, but that’s just the way my day worked out. Man, this smelled so good cooking!! I added a bag of spinach at the end because I needed to use it, and it added some really nice color. I made some quick pickled pearl onions and cucumber to go with it for a contrast with the spiciness. Definitely will make again, but next time I’d like to try using some dried chickpeas instead of canned. :) Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Ses C says
Absolutely scrumptious. Chana masala is one of my favourite dishes and I never dared try and make it before…this recipe offers a chance to enjoy its rich flavour at home even when short on time (and skill:). I used a food processor to whiz together peppers etc. as do not have a pestle…I added an extra tsp of garam masala by accident and it worked out beautifully. Flavours deepened the next day if you can make it last that long. Another ace recipe, thank you, Dana!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ses!
Hope says
I made this recipe for my husband’s birthday. We have several friends that are vegan and gluten intolerant, so this recipe was perfect. Everyone raved and ate everything. I doubled the recipe and used poblano peppers because I don’t like my food too spicy. I also added a can of coconut milk because I let it simmer a long time before serving. I didn’t add any sugar. I loved the taste of the fresh ginger. I served as specified with cilantro and lemon wedges. Both really added to the beauty of the dish and the flavor. I will definitely be making this again!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Hope!
Lesley says
Oooh I just now saw the notes on serving over roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli! I did brown basmati rice. This came out SO good. Didn’t have any green chilies so I used 1/4 tsp of cayenne. It’s excellent!
nancy says
I’ve loved so many of the recipes on MB, but this one not so much. I made the garam masala to use in this recipe as well. It was too chunky with the onion mixture incomparison to other Chana Masala recipes I’ve made and the spices were off. Not sure if it was the garam masala or what but this won’t be one I’ll repeat.
Hi Nancy, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected! Were your spices fresh? For the texture, we wonder whether blending might solve that issue. Better luck with the next one!
nancy says
I’ve used the same spices in other dishes recently with no issues. I guess there’s a chance that something was a bit old. It has a bitter taste to it that I haven’t had in other chana masala recipes. Blending the onions and tomatoes together before adding the chickpeas definitely would have made in smoother in texture. I’ll keep an eye on the spices and see if I have any issues with anything else I make. If I get the same results with the garam masala mixture I know it’s the culprit.
jennifer ball says
I love making this – the aromas and textures that fill the kitchen are so enjoyable and it’s a very approachable recipe, easy even.
I love eating this – delicious, healthy, variable: can make it soupy or thick, served as a main or side.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Well done!
Thanks, Jennifer!
Ashley says
This is one of my new favorite recipes. It’s so flavorful and so delicious. As of right now I think I could eat this every day. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Heather says
Made this and paired with a jarred tikka masala + cauliflower. And man! This side stole the show. Honestly the best homemade Indian dish I’ve made to date.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
danika says
Yum!!! This recipe is delicious! The lemon made the whole thing perfect! I wanted mine a little thicker and wanted to balance out the spiciness so I added some greek yoghurt. It was so delicious! Thanks!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Danika. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Jessica M Katz says
Delicious! I was surprised how easy it was to make this dish and have such complex flavor. This is going into our dinner rotation. Thank you so much for posting.
We didn’t have cilantro the first time, and it was still wonderful.
Victoria says
So good! We ended up adding a bit of coconut sugar and about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk (canned) to add some creaminess and make the soup more liquid-y. I highly recommend trying this addition!
xoxo!
Stacy says
My mouth did backflips eating this! It’s the perfect balance of spicy. The lemon juice makes this dish!
Ha! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Ali says
Have made this twice in the past week. The first was to the tee – amazing. Today I did not have a large can of tomatoes, subbed with tomato paste and water – incredible, maybe even more delicious. Served it with brown basmati and a Persian style spinach yoghurt.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Ali. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
whitnee says
I love your recipes usually, and maybe its just that Im not a chana masala girl. I found that this dish had too much spice (not hot, but just flavour generally). I did use all brand new spices so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Also, the garlic I bought had really big cloves so I wonder if I should have cut it down to like 2 cloves instead of 5. Anyways, this was just too potent flavour-wise for my taste, but if you’re into that you will probably love it.
Hi Whitnee, sorry to hear this one didn’t turn out as expected! The very fresh spices or the larger garlic cloves definitely could have contributed to it being overly flavorful. Better luck with the next one!
James Wolff says
Made it without the coriander since I am one of those people for whom coriander tastes like soap. Substituted parsley. Also mango chutney as an accompaniment is a real plus.
The recipe was delicious!!! I will make it again.
Thanks for sharing, James! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Heather says
I have made this recipe exactly as instructed multiple times and it is incredible. My husband has never been fond of Indian food and this recipe was the game changer. I can’t thank you enough for sharing it!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Erin says
This my favorite go to meal for my family. I live in Nepal and it has pasted with friends here. I think that speaks for the recipe.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Erin. We are so glad you and your friends enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sabateini says
Your nutritional information seems to be incorrect. 100g of chickpeas by themselves is 364 calories and your recipe, where 1 serving would be about 140g of chickpeas claims to be 275 calories.
Thanks for letting us know. We’ll take another look and modify, as needed.
Sabateini says
I might be wrong. I looked up a bunch of places and got different info for chickpeas so who knows anymore!
I made this as part of my nutrition project for my 2nd year culinary apprenticeship. Everyone had their dushes out and when all the talking was done the instructor made a beeline for this.
Only criticism I have for the recipe myself is because I had to add so much water I feel like crushed tomatoes would work better than puree.
Ariel says
I followed the directions fairly closely except I blended the paste in a magic bullet with a little bit of water and simmered the pot a little longer while I did clean up. The outcome was delicious! I topped it with crunchy fried jalapeños and cilantro and served with wild rice and charred broccoli. I would suggest halving the chili powder to start if you light things less spicy, it’s got pretty solid heat as is!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ariel!
Brooklyn says
Dang, this is delicious!
Darlene says
I made this for dinner last night. It was delicious! I didn’t have a green chilies on hand so I substituted banana peppers. Additionally, I am not a fan of cilantro and so I substituted for 3 tbsp of dried mint. The mint was subtle and quite nice. I will make it this way again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Darlene! Thanks so much for sharing!
Fiona F says
I made this and loved it . Not the same ratio of chickpea to tomato to onion I’m used to, but it turned out spicy and richly tartly tomato-y which was great! I usually do 1:1:1 of each but this is more 1:2:2 onion, tomato, chickpea . I didn’t have coriander to garnish but everything else was nice ?.thanks.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Fiona!
Xavier Salvador says
If I soaked the chickpeas instead of using cans, should I pre-boil them before adding them to the stew? Just add them to the saute? Thanks for your help!
Xavier
Yes pre-boil!
Susan Maller says
I made this and took it to work and all the employees who were from India came to my office to ask me how I learned to make this. They said that it tasted as if I had been making Chana Masala exactly as it is made in India, even though this was only the second time I made this recipe. The only modification, that I know I made was I didn’t put in any coconut sugar. I usually do that when I make it for my family, but I didn’t do it for work because there are a lot of people at work who like things spicy.
Aww, thanks so much for the lovely review, Susan! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! xo
Timmy says
I’ve used this recipe multiple times now and it’s always a flawless dish! I made it for my mum one day and she preferred it to her own (she’s Indian so this is a BIG deal) – Kudos! Quick & easy to make too! :)
So glad to hear it, Timmy! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Lacroix says
I’ve made so many of your recipes and they are all amazing. No exceptions. This was a perfectly seasoned recipe and tasted delicious. I made it just as you instructed and it turned out fantastic!
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Hannah says
Really tasty recipe! I’ve tried a lot of Indian food recipes that just haven’t turned out how I wanted but this tastes very authentic for the amount of effort and simplicity of The ingredients it requires. I ground the garlic, ginger, cilantro, and Serrano peppers in a food processor and the texture came out really well. Added spinach at the end before serving for a little extra nutrient kick! The proportions for the spices listed makes it a really good balance, in my opinion, but can easily be modified to be more/less spicy or sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Hannah!
Jennifer says
Recipe looks good. Can’t wait to try it! Just curious…I love the pot you’re using in the recipe. Where is it from?
It’s this calphalon pot!
Jennifer Chan says
Thanks! This is perfect as I’ve been looking for a pot with spouts.
Made this tonight and it was SO good. I love that you included coconut palm sugar in the recipe. I think that, along with the DIY garam masala, really made all the difference in making this dish complex tasting but so low in effort and so easy for weeknight meals. :)
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Judy Jones says
I made this on Saturday, ate some on the same day and it was nice. I froze the remainder and defrosted some for my lunch today and oh wow, it is now truly glorious. I think this is a recipe that really benefits from being made ahead so the flavours have time to develop. I’ve tried several Chana Masala recipes but not really found one that recreates the ones my friends have made for me. This one, however, is a keeper. It’s flavourful and multilayered – there’s the initial yum and then the gentle, building heat of the spice. Love this and will be making again!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Judy! So glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa says
Can this be made in a crock pot after sauteing the onions and spices?
We think so! Though we haven’t tried it.
Syaz says
Just made this and they taste incredible! The lemon juice and corriander really brings out the tomato sauce of the masala. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Syaz! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Nancy says
Excellent recipe and very forgiving.
The first time I made this I did not have any coriander powder and pureed tomatoes. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes and just added some packaged chana masala spice blend. I did not add green chilis, lemon juice or garam masala. End result is still very delicious. The second time I made it I used all the spices listed in recipe and flavor is still great. I actually prefer the version with diced tomatoes over pureed tomatoes.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Nancy!
kerry says
This was just about the easiest recipe for me to follow and I’m so glad I found it! I’m a novice in the kitchen and was looking to use up some tomatoes and chickpeas and this Chana Masala was just delicious. The perfect amount of spice and flavor, with a few substitutions. I used red onion (I doubled the amount to bulk it up) as that’s what I had on hand, jalapeños instead of Serranos, only 1 can of chickpeas, and ground ginger (~1/4 tsp) instead of fresh. And to make the paste, I do not own a mortar and pestle so cleaned out my coffee grinder and made the paste in batches…it came out beautifully.
I’ll continue to come back to this recipe and can’t wait to try it with sweet potatoes instead of rice next time. Thank you!
Wonderful, thanks for sharing, Kerry!
Darralyn says
This recipe is delicious! I’m an experienced cook and have been searching for a really good at-home Chana Masala recipe. This one didn’t disappoint. Making sure each layer of ingredients and spices cooked well created a deep, rich flavor. I substituted three plumb tomatoes and half a pint of yellow grape tomatoes along with 3 ounces of tomato paste instead of using the canned tomatoes. This made a beautiful thick sauce and I added 3/4 cup of water to loosen it up a little. One long serrano and one fat jalapeno (seeds removed) gave it just enough heat without overpowering the other flavors. I also used lime and a bit of honey instead of lemon and coconut sugar. I threw in a handful of wilted baby spinach at the end and served this with jasmine rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro top. My daughter had three servings. Yum!
Wonderful – thanks for sharing, Darralyn!
Maureen Cosgrave says
My husband could not stop saying how delicious this was. This will be a keeper for sure:) Great meal for the first day of fall.
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Maureen! xo
Hayley says
Would jalapeños work instead of Serrano chiles?
Yes! It will just be a slightly different flavor.
Shirley says
Perfection at its best! Can’t stop eating it.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Shirley!
Alicia says
What is the serving size for the 275 calorie count? This recipe is delicious! We have made it a few times now and can’t get enough.
Hi Alicia, it is for 1/6 of the total recipe.
Bre says
I never leave comments on blog recipes as I’m more of a YouTube girl, but when I couldn’t find your recipe for this one on there, so I decided to leave one here ? this pregnant lady was craving Indian food like crazy, and now I no longer have to buy those pre-packaged unhealthy packets, or order from a restaurant. This recipe is perfection! I did add a bit of coconut sugar, as I’m not used to spice and had ended up using 3 Chile’s, but even the lingering spicy flavor I find to be delicious. Thank you for this recipe! ??
So glad you enjoyed it, Bre! Thanks for sharing! xo
Jen K says
I’ve made this at least 10 times in the last 5 months. Its absolutely amazing. I have simmering on the stove a double batch right now so I can freeze half of it for the school year.
Thanks for such a great recipe.
So amazing! Thanks for sharing, Jen!!
Erica says
This recipe is amazing! I just got back from India and felt like the flavors were so authentic. I used jalapeño peppers which made it very spicy but added some coconut milk at the end to cut through the spice. Needless to say this recipe was perfect, just as I have found all of your recipes are, and will making it often!
So glad you enjoyed it, Erica! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jen says
I’ve made this three times in the past few weeks and it’s been a huge hit every time. I used Penzey’s garam masala since I had that on hand, which worked out beautifully. This recipe for sure is staying in rotation at my home. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jen! We are so glad you enjoy it! xo
Meddogs says
My original comment disappeared, but just wanted to note, for those of us who don’t enjoy spicy foods, this recipe is perfect and flavorful without the chiles and chile powder.
C.M. says
Good, I don’t enjoy spicy food, can’t have onions, don’t like them anyways, and not a fan of cumin, but will add spinach, do like garlic. My question is – I’ve seen recipes that have tomatoes or tomato paste or tomato sauce added; this one doesn’t seem to have that, would it be better with? I definitely think I’ll add some coconut milk too.
Hi there, this recipe calls for diced tomatoes, but if you like it more tomato-y, you could certainly taste test and add tomato paste, if desired.
Danni says
This was so delicious! And it freezes beautifully for meal prep. I added in a 10oz bag of frozen spinach and served it over plain cauliflower rice. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Lovely – thanks, Danni!
Ashley Stursa says
This is how I make mine, too! So good.
Rachel Ali says
OMG i had an amazing Chana Masala at an Indian restaurant about a month ago and i have been dreaming of it ever since and wondering if i could try making it myself. Turns out it was Chana Masala – so i thought i would give this recipe a go. This tasted exactly like the one from the restaurant and i am so so happy!!! I will be adding this to my weekly cooking for sure. It is just so full of flavor which i feel my curries in the past have been lacking!
Adjustments i made:
– I only had olive oil so i used this instead of grapeseed
– I added about half the amount of ground cumin as the recipe said because i don’t like tasting single spices too strong – perfect for me!
– I removed all coriander from the recipe as i am not a fan. If you are like me, it will be just as good if you removed it.
– No sugar as i didn’t have any – i think it was still great but i love hot and spicy curries
– I only had 1 can of chickpeas so that is all i added – Still worked out fine for 1 person – i got 2 meals
– At the restaurant they put fresh red onion slices on top and this adds an amazing extra crunch and flavor so i did this on mine too, amazing!
Thank you so much <3
So glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kelsey says
Loved this recipe! It was my first time making Chana Masala, but it definitely won’t be my last.
I found the instructions clear and easy to follow, and the whole thing was so quick! I served it with (packaged) Roti tonight, but I plan on trying the sweet potato & broccoli pairing another time. How I made it: dried chickpeas (soaked & cooked) instead of canned, 2 serrano peppers (heat level was ~medium), no sugar, crushed tomatoes (couldn’t find pureed/small diced), and otherwise exactly as written.
Chana Masala has always been my favorite takeout dish, but I think I’ll be making it myself from now on – especially since this takes about as long as getting delivery! (And it’s SO much cheaper)
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelsey! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Che says
The rescipe is easy. I tweeked it by toasting my spices first and then adding the herbs to cook with the spices, from there i used 8 fresh tomatos and some tomatoes paste. I salted as I added. Ingredients.
So kind! xoxo
Bryan Dwyre says
What a great recipe! I have become obsessed. I have made it at least once a week since the first time I tried it. I go with 2 green chilies everytime and the spicyness has always varied a bit. It can get pretty hot with two depending on how powerful those peppers are, but hey I don’t mind a little heat. I omit the sugar most of the time.
These flavors get even better overnight in the fridge so leftovers are incredible!
Wow- so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Bryan!
Rama says
Hi Dana,
Thanks for the recipe!
In rural Punjab, India, they give a dark colour to chickpeas by boiling it with a tea bag. Gives your cooked chickpeas a very dark colour that would look scrumptious with proper garnishing.
This recipe would go very well with Malaysian Nasilamak, or rice cooked in coconut milk. Try it, its delicious :)
Take care…
Thanks for sharing!
Kayla says
So great & easy! This is the first thing I have made from scratch and been really really happy with. Thanks :)
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Kayla! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Casey says
No subs. I am an excellent cook and followed directions perfectly. It’s just incredibly bland. Way to much tomatoes, which just overpowered the flavor of any of the spices . I truly do not understand why this has such good reviews. Must have some really basic taste buds.
Hi Casey, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you were hoping! Were your spices fresh? That would be our best guess as to why it would turn out bland- otherwise, maybe try doubling the spices next time?
Rachel says
Absolutely delicious. Gave some (reluctantly) to my friend and son who also loved this dish. Look forward to making again ?
Thanks, Rachel!
Evan says
After many years of making this recipe, I finally came back to comment. It is PHENOMENAL. Every time I make it, it’s a huge hit. I was not fond of cilantro before but this is the recipe that changed my mind. I usually use coconut oil and whatever sugar I have on hand (usually golden sugar or dark brown sugar).
I’m commenting today specifically to say i just now realized you use a chili blend powder. I’ve been using a run of the mill “regular” chili powder. I can’t wait to try that! The inclusion of cocoa powder has me intrigued.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Evan! Thank you for sharing! xo
Casey says
Worst chana masala I have ever made.
Hmm, so sorry to hear that! This is one of our most loved recipes. Is there any way I can help troubleshoot? Did you sub any ingredients?
lauren says
i’ve made this recipe at least 30 times, it’s def my fav. i always have the ingredients on hand and they are so cheap and this is so delicious!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lauren. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Linda says
Very easy to make. I used one large jalapeño peoper and 4 large vine ripe tomatoes chopped which I cooked down before adding chick peas. I cut out the sugar So delicious.
Lauren says
I have tried so many homemade Indian dishes from various recipes, but none of them quite lived up to the stuff I’ve had in restaurants.. until this one! My absolute favorite Indian recipe to make at home, and it is so simple!
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Lauren! xo
Susan D says
This was excellent! I used one large Serrano pepper, including the seeds, and one Anaheim pepper….. lovely flavor, but with only one Serrano, it was a bit too spicey for the hubby…..I probably would remove the seeds of Serrano next time or just use half of Serrano …..it was fabulous recipe! I have found Soo many great recipes on your website! Thanks for all the wonderful dinners!
Thanks for sharing!!
Ashley says
Just made this dish, and it turned out great! I will say though, this tastes different from the version I usually get from my local Indian restaurant (but still yummy!), which is maybe because it is just a different variation of chana masala. But just evaluating this dish on it’s own, I really enjoyed it and would certainly make it again!
My one complaint about this recipe is that I think the proportions of the ingredients were not ideal. My dish ended up with too much tomato compared to the amount of chickpeas, so I think next time I will use a small can of tomatoes instead of the 28 oz can.
Thanks for the feedback, Ashley! Glad you enjoyed it!
Meddogs says
I saw two comments about too much tomatoes, so thought it might be worth commenting… I followed the instructions precisely as ordered. When I put the full amount of tomatoes in, I was initially a bit nervous because I thought it would end up way too tomatoey. But, after letting it simmer (perhaps 5-10 minutes longer than the 15-20 minutes suggested), it was clear that the proportions were just right. Absolutely delicious and better than any restaurant version.
Thanks so much for sharing. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
cecilia says
Loved it! no different than the dish I had at fine Indian Restaurants.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Cecilia. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Amber Ward says
Delicious! My mother frequently turns her nose up at vegan meals, but she LOVES this and often requests it! (I love it too!)
Thanks, Amber!
Naz says
Very good recipe! My hubby made it first for his Indian colleagues and everyone liked it very much, some of them found that this was even the best chana masala they had tasted! This time it was my turn to make it and as I cant take the heat well, I added sugar and turned out great!! Well done ?
Teresa Quint says
A keeper! I made this recipe almost exactly as written (I didn’t add the sugar and I used 1/2 chopped serrano chili with seeds). With the fresh lemon juice added at the end, it was vibrant and delicious. I served it as recommended alongside roasted sweet potatoes and cauliflower (a reasonable substitute for the broccoli). I plan on making this again tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing, Teresa! Next time would you mind adding a rating? It’s so helpful for us and other readers. xoxo!
Robin Gill says
Just made this for dinner and it’s so delicious, quick, simple, healthy and cheap. Another fantastic recipe from you. Keep up the amazing work
So glad you enjoyed it, Robin! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Juliana says
This is a very very very good recipe. I’ve made it twice now, the second one being a double batch. I used jalapeño peppers and didn’t have cilantro or coriander, so I subbed parsley for the cilantro and tarragon for the coriander (though I only used 1 tsp). This keeps excellently in the fridge for 5 days (I didn’t want to wait to see if stayed fresh for longer). Thank you for this recipe! This site has helped to make my vegan transition very smooth, even though I came into it almost completely unable to cook!
Thanks, Juliana!
Paul B says
This was pretty good; all I would suggest is the addition of some black salt. I found it missing from the ingredients, and added in 3/4 tsp myself. Without it, I feel the dish would be lacking something from other varieties I have had in Indian food over the years.
Donna Cornelius says
Loved the ease and flavor. Wonderful recipe find. So many ideas to add to this dish. This will be a staple recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Rob B says
Such a great recipe! Just now making it for the third time in the past couple of months. My fiance and myself loveeeeeeee it.
It’s pretty easy to follow once you know what you’re doing… Makes great leftovers too.
Props!
lisa says
I made this recipe last night for dinner and loved it! I only had one can of chickpeas so chopped up some tofu instead of the 2nd can. I didn’t bother grinding the spices to a paste, just minced and threw in the pot. I used 1.5 japalapeno peppers for the fresh, and only 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder and it was still plenty spicy for me. Can’t imagine how hot it would be using 2 green chilis and 1 tsp. dried chili powder – and I like hot! Skipped the sugar – didn’t need it – the fresh lemon juice perked it up just fine. Garnished with more cilantro. Will definitely make this one again!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Lisa!
Carolyn says
I made this recipe last night for myself and my husband and we were wowed by the rich flavor! It was so delicious and hearty, I will definitely be making this again soon. I used 2 serrano peppers and that was plenty of heat. Thanks for the recipe!!
Will says
Bomb-diggity recipe ? personal flavor: only used one whole jelepeño (minus stem), puree half the tomatoes, half cup water …and didn’t have any sugar so used a bit of maple syrup ?.
Alex says
Hi, my question is this–
I LOVE all your recipes and while you inspire me, I am a very simple cook. I prefer to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and while I was initially pulled to your website because of your vegetarian/vegan stuff, what I wish I found more of was things with <5 ingredients.
Are you still doing that? If not, that's perfectly fine. When I click on your recipe section, is there a way to filter the recipes that have only 5 ingredients, for example?
Hi Alex, we do not have a category for 5 ingredients or less, but you can find all of our recipes with 7 ingredients or less here. Hope that helps!
Jberto says
Enjoyed this dish very much. Many ingredients so suggest measuring and separating spices first. Watch the heat – 1 Serrano, 1 jalapeno and 1 Anaheim were plenty for us (and we like pretty hot TexMex). Also, I doubt this can be done in 30 mins.
CARI SMITH-POINTER says
Thank you for this recipe. I never post on recipe blogs, but this was just that good. My teenage daughter loves Indian food, but not vegetarian, yet she was totally satisfied (we had this with naan). I subbed dried parsley for the cilantro (I know, not even close) and minced dried ginger for fresh, but even so, it was so fantastic I ate 4 servings. Ouch.
Jessica Fregni says
This is one of my favorite recipes from this site and of all time! It’s such a great recipe, and I make it frequently for healthy meal prepping, especially since it freezes well. I add more cilantro and more peppers (jalapenos usually) because I like an extra kick. I serve it with Chipotle-style cilantro-lime brown rice. Thank you for sharing this recipe!