How to make the perfect Chickpeas / Chana masala.
Channa masala - One of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine—chickpeas cooked in a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce—is the kind of dish that stirs passions among Indian chefs. I promise, it tastes damn good.
In modern fine dining, presentation plays an important role. Chefs give the same importance to the food wares as important as finding good ingredients and creating recipes. On each and every dish the chefs try to make them more appetizing. In modern cookery, a piece of wood, cast iron or even pebbles are used for serving food. I enjoy collecting rare charming food wares and knives.
Chickpeas are low in fat, high in protein and fibre. They are very cost-effective and great to pair with spices. Chickpea masala is a very popular vegetarian dish in India.
Chickpeas/ Chana masala cooking instructions.
- Serves – 3 to 4
- Preparation time – 10 minutes
- Cooking time – 20 minutes
Ingredients to make Chickpeas/ Chana masala
- Canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained) – 3 cups
- vegetable oil – 1 tsp
- Onions – (chopped) 2 numbers
- Garlic (chopped) – 2/3 cloves, Fresh ginger – a small piece
- Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
- Cumin powder – 1 tablespoon
- Kashmiri chilli powder – ½ tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Chopped tomatoes – 2 medium ones
- Water – ½ cup
- Ground roasted cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Amchoor powder (mango powder) – 1 tablespoon
- Garam masala powder – 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste
- lemon juice – 2 tablespoon
Method to make Chickpeas/ Chana masala
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until browned.
- Put garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the coriander, cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric. Add the tomatoes.
- Cook the tomatoes in the spices.
- Put chickpeas and a cup of water and simmer the fire.
- Add the roasted cumin, amchoor, garam masala, salt and lemon juice.
- Cook covered for another 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding water.
- Your Chickpeas/ Chana masala is ready to serve.
More similar recipes:
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- kovakka recipes
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- Vegetable makhani lasagne
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Regards,
Sumith.
Chana Masala
Channa masala – One of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine—chickpeas cooked in a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce—is the kind of dish that stirs passions among Indian chefs. I promise, it tastes damn good.
Servings 4
Calories 232kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp amchoor powder mango powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add onions and garlic and sauté over a medium heat until browned. Add garlic and sauté for few minutes.
- Add the coriander, cumin, kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric. Add the tomatoes.
- Cook the tomatoes in the spices.
- Add chickpeas and a cup of water and simmer the fire.
- Add the roasted cumin, amchoor, garam masala, salt and lemon juice.
- Cook covered for another 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding water.
- Your Chickpeas/ Chana masala is ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 746mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 574IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Vitamin E: 2mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 6mg
One of my favourite Indian dishes to make at home. Can I substitute something else for the amchoor powder?
I Boleyn, it’s optional. You can skip it if you don’t like it. Amchoor gives bit tangy flavour in the dish.
It’s not that don’t like it, I just don’t have any in my pantry. 🙂
Actually it doest go with this. It’s an extra add by me in this recipe for bit more flavour?
Love your presentation ???it is awesome
Thank you Kaur. Glad you like it?
Apart from the non-veg recipe posts I ignore (since I’m a vegetarian) it seems like you pick all my favourites. ☺
Chhole…chickpeas…chana…whatever name you call it. I just love it!
Varsh I am a pure vegetarian for few weeks. So you can expect many veggies now??. I don’t have a choice??
Yay!!:??
?:)
Sumit – Kaddala and Puttu????? One of our favourites. Looks so lovely, as always. Just visited your new facebook page – interesting!
Hi Carina, you almost took me to kerala?. Love kadala and puttu. You too join with us, few amazing bloggers and food photographers are there to meet. We are inviting you to post your recipes too there. We foodies glaze together!!
Sumith,what a mouthwatering treat! And the presentation is awesome, as always!
Thanks a lot Sandhya. We missed your posts for a few weeks. Hope you had a great holiday.
Beautiful presentation as always. I love chickpeas and I’m always looking for new ways to cook them. This definitely sounds like something I’ll be trying. Thank you for posting.
Thank you Vanessa. It’s so easy to cook as well. Hopefully you will enjoy it. Telling a secret in between us – all curry’s taste the best the next day??? to get immersed with the spices all the gravy’s taste a lot better the next day.
Chana Massala is one of my absolute favourite things … I will try your recipe for sure. My third daughter’s middle name is Channa (note different spelling) after a Princess in an Italian Fairy Story but of course her sisters tease here and call her the chickpea – even now that they are all grown up!
Though it’s a name of a princess.? Nice to know that. Try it, Osyth you will love it. It’s easy to make as well.
Chickpeas is a versatile protein which blends so easily in any form to create a yummy dish…..chana masala being the all time favourite. Your presentation Sumith as always rocks ?
Thanks a bunch Radhika. As it’s a canned one it’s so smooth to eat. We in kerala love it with puttu (rice steamed cake)
Yes, I have had puttu during my visit to Kerala?
You you enjoyed that. In my page I have done a stuffed puttu. Its bit more interesting.
Will check it out ?
looks yummy
Thank you krishna kumari:)
I simply loved the cycle cart and this is my favourite dish too. Sumith you said it so rightly that today people want to first see how the food is presented before eating. Simply adorable.
Thank you Kamal. Now a days in some of the good restaurants with the menu they even display the presentations too.
Yes, yes of course and how we go to big restaurants sometimes and know how well things r presented. Mumbai has become only good restaurants and what ambience too.
In modern restaurants they do molecular gastronomy. We will show case here in my posts soon. That’s amazing and very interesting. Mumbai is so great with top restaurants.
Ya of course that is there but I was talking about the display and the ambience u know eating at home is always the best.
Very true! Eating at home is the best.
Yes absolutely.
I love channa masala.. you have said cumin powder – 1 tsp.. ground roasted cumin seeds -.1 tsp…is any difference? ( I am confused..that’s y)… just loved your presentation??
Roasted cumin seeds goes on when the dish finish cooking. You will get that bites when eating it. Thank you lathiya for letting me know. I have corrected that.
Thank you?.. you are welcome?
Hope to see you soon in a new home town – Foodies art files in FB?
Me too?.. can I share recipes from my fb page or directly from blog?
Either ways Lathiya. I used to post from my FB page. Food photograph first and attach a link with a small description, which I get more response from the readers.
Thank you?..done?
?:)
Your recipe is great and the presentation is too good. Cycle cart steals the show hands down.
Thank you Anuradha. You are always very inspirational:)
Lovely display Sumith I’m not a huge fan of chana masala, but you make it look good!
Thanks a lot Rini for your inspirational words!
The wooden trivet is a good addition to the presentation in addition to that cute cycle! I love chickpea-anything!
Thank you Kathryn. I am very glad you like it.
The presentation is amazing.
Thanks a lot:)
Excellent recipe and also the presentation ,like always!?
Thank you Payal for your beautiful words!
Sumith, what a cheerful and fun way to serve this dish! I love it 🙂
I am honoured. Thanks a lot for your amazing bunch of words Marisa
Looks delicious!! Made chole for lunch today, but due to bad lighting, I will have to redo the pics 🙁
Thank you Freda. Lighting is big problem in here in winter, for photography. This one was a pending one from summer? I am really obsessed with your photography.
Thanks Sumith! Yes lighting is really a problem these days, I find that the best time is just about until 11 am for me. After that there is direct sunlight all over the place, and then before the sun starts setting, it is dark and the light is so dull. It becomes challenging to finish cooking and setting everything by 11 🙁 I have to start early!
Very true finishing before 11 is hard before the direct sunlight.?
you are a pure vegetarian, how wonderful, so we expect a lot of your amazing dishes being vegetarian. Btw I love Chana Masala. I got all the spices in Jodhpur.
Thank you Cornelia. Changed into vegetarian for a few weeks??. Me too love chana masala. And nice to know you have got all the spices from Jodhpur. I wish to visit there once. Seen all those beautiful photographs in your blog.
Thank you Sumith for visiting all my posts.
Love your photography. Though still struggling to get in your page for some reason.
Go on your gravator. And paste your webite url there. Rather writing http://www.corneliawebphotography.com. Try that way may be it helps.
Try paste http rather than www in your gravator. May be that helps. Now this takes straight to your site, and too it’s showing not mobile phone friendly. Most of them use phones now a days. My apologies if I am wrong?
I will check again from my side and let you know. Namaste. Have a nice day.
I am looking forward for your amazing photography!
It seems a good ride from farm to restaurant. 🙂
Haha Deepak, I liked your humour sense???. Yes fresh to go!
Yum – chana masala is one of my go to Indian dishes and I love those (are they cast iron?) serving bowls….
Hi Laura, thanks a bunch for your beautiful words. Yes they are cast iron from my collections?
Lovely – I’ll be looking it for those c
?:)
These and some garma garam poori’s – omg delicious!!!
Puris with chana masala is amazing! Between nice to see you after a very long break. Welcome back on board.
Thank you so much Sumit, hope everything is going good at your end?
Thank you. So far so good?
Love the props!
Thank you Annika.
Love that clever happy-smile touch!
Thank a lot Chris?
I can’t wait to make this! I actually own mango powder! What would substitute for Kashmiri chile powder?
Hi chef Mimi, aamchoor is mango powder. For kashmiri chilli powder you can substitute with paprika powder. The reason I used kashmirI chilli powder instead of chilli powder is to make it less spicy.
This dish looks amazing – I think my boys will love it!
Hi Robbie, it’s easy to cook as well. Kids would love this vegetarian dish.
Sumith I can cook, I have learnt it a bit.
Its an art you have nourished.
I would be more pleased to eat and can be your judge to give the ultimatum.
That cycle presentation is awesome.
Chicken and Channa great !
Shiva
Hi shiva, thank you. I can cook but wish to write like you:)
Have just made my version of chana masala again this evening. Got to make it every couple of weeks as amchoor powder is one of my faves. 🙂
Hi Johnny chana masala is all time favourite’s. Amchoor powder give an extra punch in the dish.
Sumith the presentation is wow as always. Liked the Chana masala recipe. Very simple one. Will try this sometime. ??
Thank you Meena for your feedback?
Delicious chatpata
Thank you Ruchi?:)
This Chana Masala is driving the foodie out of me once again!!? Have tasted much of this recipe but this one seems so unique, a major credit obviously goes to the presentation!!☺? Brother you are jUST amazing!! I would definitely like to taste your food some day, if technology permits that??☺?
Thank you Vivek for your huge compliment. You made my day! Haha if technology permits we can now. Or may be another time. This world is too small Vivek?
One of my favourite dishes Sumith! It looks so delish & your presentation skills are truly inspiring!
Thank you Divya for your compliment:)
Amazing pics, Sumith! Try this new recipe for sure!
Thanks a lot for your inspirational words!
Awesome presentation…
Thank you for your inspirational words Payal
Sumith, Fabulous recipe for chana masala and as always, brilliant presentation!
Thank you for your kind words Sandhya?
Chick Peas are healthy. And Tasty. But Sumith , you forgot to show the main big Puris to go with them.
HI, cattie that’s true should have put some puris as well on that bike?.Thank you for stopping by.
Yum!
Thanks Carol?
You inspire me! I don’t cook Indian food very often but I really should as chana masala is a household favorite! The presentation is beautiful, I love blue plates for presentation.
Have a great weekend 🙂
Thank you Petra for your inspirational comment. Me too love blue plates. Just done another blue plate today?. Have a great weekend:)
So pretty!
Thank you Rashmi?
So simple, yet so beautiful! Sumith, you are amazing!
Thank Dolly for the compliment.
Dear Sumith, you deserve every compliment! You are a true artist!
Thanks a lot Dolly?
I ADORE chickpeas in all kinds of recipes; and when I go to India or to an Indian restaurant here in Beijing I nearly always order Chana Masala. Now you have shown me how I can make it myself!!!! I am so delighted. The recipe seems simple enough for me, and I have all the ingredients – even the mango powder (bought in Bengalaru a month or two ago) can’t wait to try it. Off to Scotland for Christmas, I think this dish would go well with the Xmas turkey!! it will certainly be a talking point…you have such a wonderful website, very inspirational!
Thanks a lot for your feedback. This is easy to make. As if you use canned chic peas it’s more easy and will enjoy cooking with all those ingradients you have. Wishing you a spicy Xmas this year. Enjoy cooking!! And thanks for the compliment on wesite -:)
Oh…..awesome Presentation, Sumith
Rosie thanks a lot for your compliment!
🙂
Awesome Presentation!!!
Thanks a lot!
Beautiful setting for the photograph! 🙂
Thanks a lot Reocochran
Very cute photo setting.
Thanks a lot Maria 🙂
That looks like a really delicious dish with lots of flavour ??
Thanks a lot Fame food!