Chana Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

Chana masala is the gateway food to Indian cuisine. It uses a familiar bean and includes a subtle hint of cinnamon, spice and heat.

Chana masala is the gateway food to Indian cuisine. It uses a familiar bean and includes a subtle hint of cinnamon, clove, spice and heat. It’s the starter curry for those skeptical of venturing into this “exotic” Indian cuisine.

I consider Chana Masala the gateway curry because it uses a familiar bean, (garbanzo beans found on most salad bars across the States), it tends to be mild in spice, and has a warm cozy feeling when you eat it, similar to the way chicken noodle soup makes most people feel loved and comforted as a child.

I love chana masala for all of the above reasons but I also enjoy it because it has a subtle hint of cinnamon, clove and a tad bit of molasses-like sweetness that enhances the overall flavor of the dish. These warm flavors elevate the coziness of the meal, create depth, and if you are unfamiliar with Indian food, it leaves you wondering “What is that?”

Most people can hit on the cinnamon and clove flavors but that tad bit of sweetness in Chana Masala is added by anardana — ground, dried pomegranate seeds. This ingredient can easily be found in most Indian markets. It comes both pre-ground and as whole, dried pomegranate seeds. I myself, buy the dried seeds and grind a bit of them each time a recipe calls for anardana.

The second unique ingredient required for this recipe is amchoor powder which is a finely ground powder made from unripe, green mangos — definitely not something commonly used in the States. Amchoor powder is slightly sweet with a subtle, bitter undertone. It’s commonly used in Indian cooking and can be found in most Indian spice mixes. It’s also sold in abundance at any Indian market.

Another unique ingredient found in my Chana Masala recipe is kala salt, also known as black salt. When you purchase kala salt, it’s more gray in color than black but in its original form, it truly is a big black rock.

Kala salt has a very pungent, strong sulfur taste when use in large quantities and thus, I recommended using it sparingly in dishes. It’s also definitely not a replacement for sea salt — so don’t even think about using it as such.

Again, kala salt is another ingredient you can easily find at an Indian market or even sometimes at a specialty food or spice shop. It’s often sold as a fine, ground powder though it may also contain larger clumps of salt that you’ll need to break up into a powder before using.

The final important ingredient in my recipe is a few teaspoons of a generic all-in-one Chana Masala spice mix (similar to the one below). You might be thinking, ‘Why don’t I just use the spice mix instead of going through the trouble of hunting down all the other ingredients?’

If you are thinking this, let me phrase it this way. When you make marinara sauce, you might use a generic ‘Italian Spice’ mix but you always add in a few other extra ingredients to make it unique, truly your own and a heck of a lot tastier, right?

Same thing with this recipe — the Chana Masala mix is a great base but the other spices are what truly make this recipe a tasty, delicious Chana Masala.

My Chana Masala recipe is my own interpretation of <3M’s Mami’s (Aunt) Chana Masala recipe which I tasted on my first trip to India in 2013. I loved Mami’s recipe so much that of course, before leaving India, I asked if she’d share it with me. Mami sent me instructions on how to recreate her dish but since she uses more of a “cook by taste” approach, her recipe wasn’t really a recipe at all but more of a guide.

Below’s the original recipe I received from Mami:

Boil channa two katories by putting a little salt garam masala and oil
Heat oil on pan, put ginger garlic paste roast then put one fourth spoon kala salt,one fourth spoon amchoor powder,one fourth spoon anrdana half spoon channa powder two spoons tomato purée roast and add boiled channa with a little water simmer for five minutes and ready for serving

After reading Mami’s recipe 10 times over, I was left more and more confused each time I read it and had a ton of questions…

• What’s a katori?
• When she says ‘spoon’ does that mean table, tea, soup or a regular old spoon?
• I knew her recipe used dried beans but how long was I to boil them?
• I’ve never heard of boiling dry beans with oil.  How much oil do I use?
• What was the measurement for garlic and ginger?

Obviously, this was not quite the recipe I was expecting in order to recreate the wonderful, rich chana masala I had experienced at Mami’s house.  After some more Google searching to understand what a “katori” measurement is (it’s a bowl used for sambar FYI) I was able to take my current chana masala knowledge and it’s basic taste profiles to recreate Mami’s recipe with regular kitchen measurements.

I consider my Chana Masala recipe to be an authentic, spicy chana masala. It’s a recipe I’ve been making over and over again for almost 3 years now. Each time I make this Chana Masala dish, I’m reminded of my first trip to India, my family there, and the warm cozy feelings the meal evokes when I eat it! It’s also perfect for <3M when he’s feeling a bit homesick.

So take a few moments, hunt down those specialty spices and cook up your own Chana Masala recipe! Like most of my other recipes, this dish is easy, can be made in 1 pot and will be on ready to eat in a half hour — making it perfect for weeknight cooking!

Punjabi Chana Masala

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic (or 1 heaping tablespoon of garlic paste)
• 1 heaping tablespoon ginger paste
• ¾ cup red onion, finely diced (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup fire-roasted tomato puree
• 1½ teaspoons kala salt
• 1½ teaspoons amchoor powder
• 1 teaspoon anrdana powder
• 2 teaspoons channa powder*
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon clove
• 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans**
• 1½ - 2 cups water

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic, ginger, and red onion. Cook until the onions begin to sweat and are slightly translucent [about 5 minutes].
2. Add in the tomato puree and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring as not to burn. Add in all spices [kala salt, amchoor powder, anrdana powder*, channa powder*, cumin, cinnamon, & clove]. Allow these flavors for develop, cooking on medium-low for another 5 minutes, stirring as needed so the mixture doesn't burn.
3. Add in the garbanzo beans and allow the beans to cook with the onion-tomato-spice mixture on medium-low for another 3-5 minutes, stirring as needed to keep the ingredients from burning. At this time, add in the water [1½ to 2 cups or until the beans are slightly covered].
4. After adding water, bring the curry to a boil, continuing the boil for up to 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot so it doesn't boil over. Afterwards, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and allow the curry to thicken for at least 20 minutes.
5. Serve with rice, cilantro, and yogurt.

Notes

*If you can't tolerate a lot of spice in your food, add in only 1 teaspoon of channa masala powder initially. Before serving, taste the curry for spice level and adjust as needed, adding additional channa powder in ½ teaspoon increments.
**I switch between using canned beans and cooking dried beans from scratch, depending on how much time I have or if I've planned ahead. If using dry, be sure to prep the beans the morning of or night before.

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