All hail the great chana masala that is so easy to make, meal prep friendly, naturally vegan, gluten-free and so comforting! This is an ADDICTIVE and fool-proof (if you have the ingredients) chana masala recipe that you will keep coming back to. Perfect for batch prepping and for a hearty Indian meal. it goes great with all kinds of breads and rice. I highly recommend you give it a try this weekend
Chana masala (as popularly known as in western cultures), also called chole masala. In Indian cuisine it is known as chole masala due to the various kinds of spices used. “Masala” meaning blend of spices, “chana” meaning chickpeas. This dish is quite popular in North Indian Punjabi cuisine, but other Indian regions also make chole in different styles.The color and taste of the dish depends upon the recipe used.It is great for vegans and vegetarians.
Like I said, there are many variations of this dish and here is my take on a quick and delicious chana masala. Add whole spices, (I used cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom and bay leaf) and sauteed them in some oil for up to a minute. Spice flavours molecules are not water soluble, they only infused in oil. . Add the chopped onions, then. Remember, the more you let the onions caramelize, the more delicious flavor tones you can reap out of it. Not to say it wont be delicious even if you don’t wait until caramelization.
I, then, add in the aromatics: green chilies, garlic, ginger and let that cook for a couple minutes. These aromatics are highly important to give this curry a great depth of flavor. Then we add the tomato puree, the powdered spices and let it all come together for a while.
Serve with a fresh squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander/cilantro leaves. Chickpeas add plenty of fiber, texture, and protein, and puréed tomatoes add body and richness.
Chana masala can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. You can also batch prep it and freeze it. Take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator section the night before consumption.
If you are not a fan of chickpeas and still want to enjoy a yummy Indian meal, check out this 1-pot daal recipe. Also, super comforting and easy to make!
For other chickpea based recipes checkout this palestinian fatteh:
https://beextravegant.com/palestinian-eggplant-fatteh-vegan-middle-eastern-dish/
Let me know if you give this recipe a go, tag me on Instagram if you do! Feel free to ask me questions regarding the recipe.
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Really good and a lot simpler than other recipes for chana masala online (way too many sites say to make your own whole spice garam masala) Only problem is I like to think I'm used to spice, but I use chili powder from our local indian spice bazaar and 1.5 tbsp was TOO MUCH 😭 i also doubled the recipe, so doubled the chili powder. I'll make again for sure, but with a bit less chili powder. I also had some habaneros from my garden so I threw half a one in to replace the green chiles. Did not help spice level lmao - whoops. Still, delicious recipe I'll just uh, go a little less hard next time
Whoops! Yeah it's always best to add less and to taste as you go to make sure the seasoning is according to your taste.
I'm happy you liked it though!
Delicious! I tried this today and it came out SO well! Thank you so much for the recipe!!