Chana Masala (Chole Masala) is a popular North Indian vegetarian curry prepared using chickpeas (channa) and aromatic spices. Serve this classic Punjabi chole with classic bhatura, tava naan, amritsari kulcha, quick chapati, paratha, or steamed rice.
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Recipe card
Chana Masala | Chole Masala | Chickpea Curry
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chickpeas dried (or 2 canned chickpeas)
- 2 Tea Bags (optional, only for color)
- 3 ½ cups Water
- 1 ½ tablespoon Oil or Butter or Ghee
- 5 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger chopped
- 1 large Onion finely chopped
- 2 to 3 Tomatoes, pureed (or 8 oz tomato sauce)
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala powder or chole masala powder (adjust to taste) (check tips)
- ½ teaspoon Red chile powder (adjust to taste)
- 3 tablespoon Cilantro or Coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Lime juice or Chat masala or dry mango powder
- Salt to taste
Some optional ingredients that you can use either while cooking chickpeas or before sauteing onion in oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Cloves
- 2 to 3 Cardamom seeds
Instructions
Pressure cook the chickpeas
- Traditionally, dried chickpeas are used for the recipe. But you can even use canned chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas then ignore this step.
- Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Next morning, drain the water and keep it aside. In a pressure cooker, add 3 ½ cups of water and 2 tea bags and bring it to a nice boil. Tea bags are used only for color and have no impact on the flavor.1 cup Chickpeas, 2 Tea Bags, 3 ½ cups Water
- Remove the tea bags, add the chickpeas, and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 1 on high flame and 2 on medium flame. (About 12 to 15 minutes total).
Making of the best chole masala
- In a pan, heat oil or butter. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, and saute for 30 seconds.1 ½ tablespoon Oil, 1 Bay leaf, 1 inch Cinnamon, 2 Cloves, 2 to 3 Cardamom seeds
- Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the onions and saute till the onion becomes translucent.5 cloves Garlic, 1 tablespoon Ginger, 1 large Onion
- Add tomato puree or sauce and cook on medium-low flame for about 8 minutes. Cover the pan with the lid.2 to 3 Tomatoes, pureed
- Add garam masla powder, red chile powder, salt to taste and cook for 2 minutes2 teaspoon Garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon Red chile powder, Salt
- Now add the cooked chickpeas, about 1 cup of water (use the water in which you cooked chickpeas for the best flavor), cover it, and let it simmer on medium-low flame for 18 to 20 minutes. This gravy thickens as it cooks. Adjust water for desired consistency. The more you simmer on low heat, the better flavor. You can also mash some of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon if needed.
- Add cilantro, lime juice (or chat masala or dry mango powder) and mix. Switch off the flame. Serve hot and enjoy.3 tablespoon Cilantro, ½ to 1 teaspoon Lime juice
- Chana Masala is ready. Garnish it with ginger julienne, cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.
Chana masala Instant pot
- Instead of pressure cooking the chana (chickpeas), first, prepare the onion tomato masala gravy in the saute mode, add the soaked chickpeas, and then cook on high for around 35 minutes.
Notes
- Soak the dried chickpeas overnight and pressure cook the next morning to get a softer and lighter texture.
- The time to cook chickpeas may depend on the quality of the chickpeas used, so you may have to vary the cooking time accordingly.
- Vary the ingredient amount as per your taste.
- If you want a stronger gravy, add more garam masala or chole masala powder. You can also add ½ teaspoon of coriander powder and cumin powder instead. If you like it sour or tangy, increase the amount of lime juice or chat masala.
- You can substitute tea bags with tea decoction (add ½ teaspoon of tea powder with water and bring it to a boil before adding chickpeas).
- This chickpea curry freezes well. Once the dish comes to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and freeze.
Nutrition
Punjabi chole masala
Punjabi Chole or Chickpea Curry is a popular vegan and gluten-free Indian vegetarian curry dish where the dried chickpeas are soaked and pressure cooked, then mixed in onion tomato gravy with aromatic spices.
Chole bhatura and chole chawal is a popular combo served on the street side and in dhabas across North India. You can serve chana masala for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a snack during special occasions or parties. Every region has its own variations. Some use tomatoes, while others don't. You can also try no onion, no garlic chana masala, which is very popular and made during Navratri days.
While you are here, don't forget to check list of North Indian breakfast recipes and Indian vegetarian recipes for lunch and dinner.
Ingredients
Chickpeas: Dried chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans or kabuli chana, are traditionally used to make this channa masala. You can even use black chickpeas or canned chickpeas to make this recipe. Note that canned chickpeas will alter the taste and consistency of the gravy.
Whole spices: If you love the flavor of spices, then feel free to add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon to the recipe.
Chole masala: Use storebought chole masala powder from your favorite brand, easily available in Indian stores, or simply use garam masala powder or curry powder in the recipe.
Tomatoes and onions: The more you saute and simmer, the better the gravy will be.
Ginger and garlic: Use fresh ginger and garlic to enjoy the best flavors.
Tea bags: These are used just to get the restaurant and dhaba color for your chickpea curry. If you are not worried about color, simply skip it in the recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
Pressure cook the chickpeas
- Traditionally, dried chickpeas are used for the recipe. But you can even use canned chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, then ignore this step.
- Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Next morning, drain the water and keep it aside. In a pressure cooker, add 3 ½ cups of water and 2 tea bags and bring it to a nice boil. Tea bags are used only for color and have no impact on the flavor.
- Remove the tea bags, add the chickpeas, and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 1 is on high flame and 2 is on medium flame. (About 12 to 15 minutes total).
How to make the best chole (chana masala)?
- In a pan, heat oil or butter. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the onions and saute till the onion becomes translucent.
- Add tomato puree or sauce and cook on medium-low flame for about 8 minutes. Cover the pan with the lid.
- Add garam masla powder, red chile powder, salt to taste and cook for 2 minutes
- Now add the cooked chickpeas, about 1 cup of water (use the water in which you cooked chickpeas for the best flavor), cover it, and let it simmer on medium-low flame for 18 to 20 minutes. This gravy thickens as it cooks. Adjust water for desired consistency. The more you simmer on low heat, the better flavor. You can also mash some of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon if needed.
- Add cilantro, lime juice (or chat masala or dry mango powder) and mix. Switch off the flame. Serve hot and enjoy.
- Chana Masala is ready. Garnish it with ginger julienne and cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.
Chef tips
- Soak the dried chickpeas overnight and pressure cook the next morning to get a softer and lighter texture.
- The time to cook chickpeas may depend on the quality of the chickpeas used, so you may have to vary the cooking time accordingly.
- Vary the ingredient amount as per your taste.
- If you want a stronger gravy, add more garam masala or chole masala powder. You can also add ½ teaspoon of coriander powder and cumin powder instead. If you like it sour or tangy, increase the amount of lime juice or chat masala.
- You can substitute tea bags with tea decoction (add ½ teaspoon of tea powder with water and bring it to a boil before adding chickpeas).
- This chickpea curry freezes well. Once the dish comes to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and freeze.
Instant pot chana masala
Instead of pressure cooking the chana (chickpeas), first, prepare the onion tomato masala gravy in the saute mode, add the soaked chickpeas, and then cook on high for around 35 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Chole or Chana masala tastes the best when served with bhature. Check out our recipe on chole bhatura for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- You can serve it with Indian flatbreads like simple naan, amritsari kulcha, quick chapati, paratha, roti. Check the list of Indian bread.
- Serve it with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice for a vegetarian meal combo.
- This goes well even with appam (surnali dosa) or Mangalorean neer dosa.
- While here, check out our interesting list on what to serve with Indian naan bread.
Storage suggestions
Like many other Indian curries, chole or chana masala can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or stovetop on medium heat before serving. You can even freeze the leftovers for upto 1 month.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, all the main ingredients used to prepare this dish are vegan and gluten-free.
I use garam masala powder to prepare this dish. You can use curry powder or chole masala powder. All these spice powders are easily available in any Indian store.
Punjabi chole makes use of amla while cooking chickpeas to give them a darker color and sour taste. But I have used tea bags for the color. This is totally optional. I skip adding tea bags most of the time when I cook, and it does not alter the dish's taste except the color. Use tea bags only if you prefer dark chole or chana masala.
Yes, you can do it. Cover 1 cup of chickpeas in 5 cups of boiling water and let it soak for 1 hour. Then pressure cook it. But note that the soaked chana overnight cooks faster and gives a lighter melt-in-mouth texture.
Yes, you can. Skip the pressure cooking step in this case. Note that the chana masala made from dried chickpeas always has better texture and flavor.
More chickpea recipes
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Note: We originally posted this vegan chana masala or Punjabi chole recipe in Feb 2020. It has now been modified in Jan 2024 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
kim
This recipe was fabulous! So easy and so tasty! will definitely be making again!
vasant
hi khushi,
I must say the pictures are looking so delicious,
you have done hard work on this blog. keep it up.
Shashi singh
I always follow this recipe. Loving it with bhature.
Kushi
Thanks. Means alot 🙂
Delaney
This looks incredible! Can't wait to try it out!
Sharon
This looks great! I love that you garnished with ginger!