Chana Masala Recipe
How to make restaurant-style chana masala. It goes great as a side with rice, paratha or roti.
How to make restaurant-style chana masala. It goes great as a side with rice, paratha or roti.
- salt as needed
- 1 green chili slit
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1.5 cups chana or 3 cups soaked chana/ chickpeas
- 1.5 cups water
- pinch of soda (baking soda or cooking soda)
- 2 tbsp oil or as needed
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- â½ cup chopped tomatoes
- â½ cup chopped onions
- 1 tsp garam masala (i used punjabi garam masala)
- â½ tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric/ haldi
- â¼ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 pinch of amchur (dried mango powder)
- 1 small bay leaf/ tej patta
- 1 inch cinnamon stick/ dalchini
- 3 cloves
- Carbohydrate 0.379116666606579 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0124999999974639 g
- Fiber 0.108333331538431 g
- Protein 0.0442833333271792 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00180083333264691 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (93g)
- Sodium 42.4096666696279 mg
- Sugar 0.270783335068148 g
- Trans Fat 0.00643583333252518 g
- Calories 1 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash chickpeas thoroughly and soak for 6 to 8 hours. Add them to a pot or pressure cooker along with 1.5 cups water and a pinch of soda. Cook until soft for 1 to 2 whistles.
- Meanwhile, saute onions until golden in 1.5 tsp oil.
- Saute ginger garlic paste as well to remove the raw smell.
- Saute chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Make sure tomatoes turn soft and the raw smell has gone.
- Saute again along with chili powder and turmeric till the raw smell goes away. Blend once cooled to a smooth paste.
- Saute cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and cardamom in oil. Add chopped onions and chilli. Fry until golden.
- Add the blended paste. Stir well. Add masala powder and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and then the stock (chana cooked water) as needed. You may need to use up all.
- When it comes to a boil, simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Add kasuri methi, amchur. Stir and switch off. Add chopped coriander leaves. Cover and set aside until served.
- Chana masala is ready to serve.
A proper chana masala yields a thick, clinging gravy where the oil separates slightly at the edges, coating tender chickpeas that retain their structural integrity rather than turning to mush. Achieving this standard requires understanding how aromatics, spices, and starches interact during the simmer phase.
Judging Doneness Without a Thermometer
Visually assess the gravy. Simmer the mixture for three to five minutes after adding the stock until the liquid reduces and coats the back of a spoon cleanly. The raw harshness of ground spices disappears when they bloom correctly in fat; look for a glossy sheen on the surface of the curry as proof that the emulsion is complete. Chickpeas must yield completely to gentle pressure between two fingers without crumbling apart internally. If the center remains chalky, add fifty milliliters of water and cook for an additional two minutes.
- Adding tomatoes before onions finish browning halts the Maillard reaction, leaving the base watery and bitter.
- Scorching the ginger garlic paste ruins the flavor profile; keep the heat at medium-low when rendering it in oil.
- Skipping the initial soak prevents the legumes from cooking evenly, resulting in split skins and hard centers.
