No onion No Garlic Chana Masala or Vrat wale Chole recipe is simple and easy to make yet so delicious curry prepared using basic minimal ingredients from your kitchen.
About the recipe
No-onion, no-garlic, chana masala, or chole is prepared using chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, and cashews with green chilies and chile powder. Don't be surprised with the ingredient list. I have not used anything besides these simple ingredients; you can still make wonderful gravy.
I cannot believe Navratri is around the corner. With Durga Puja and celebrations all over India, many people fast these nine days. During these fasting days, onion and garlic are not allowed to be consumed, along with some flours and spices.
This recipe is for those fasting on Navratri and my sattvic and Jain friends. But this dish is so simple and tasty that you will not miss any spices or ingredients used in traditional chole. You will start preparing this side dish frequently.
Ingredients
¾ cup Chickpeas, dried (yields 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
For the ground masala
3 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon Cashews, chopped
¼ cup Water
Other Ingredients
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 to 3 Green chilies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Red chile powder
Salt or Sendha Namak, to taste
1 Medium Potato, boiled and cubed.
2 tablespoon Coriander leaves for garnish
How to make No onion No Garlic Chana Masala for Fasting, Upvas, Vrat
How to soak and boil chickpeas?
If you are using canned chickpeas, ignore the step. Otherwise, wash and soak the chickpeas in water overnight (6 to 8 hours).
Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas and add the chickpeas to the pressure cooker with 3 to 4 cups of water.
Pressure cook for three whistles and let the pressure release naturally. Reserve the water in which you have cooked chickpeas. You can use this water to adjust the consistency of the gravy later.
Making of Chana Masala or Chole
Add tomatoes and cashews with water in a mixie jar or blender and blend them to smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds. To this, add green chilies and saute for a few seconds.
Then add the prepared tomato paste, chile powder, and salt and cook until the mixture bubbles for 3 to 5 minutes.
Finally, add the boiled chickpeas, potatoes, 1 ½ cups of water (or aquafaba, i.e., water in which chickpeas were cooked), and bring it to a boil.
Now simmer and continue to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. This gravy thickens as it cools down. So adjust the consistency accordingly based on what you are serving it with.
Finally, add coriander leaves and mix. Switch off the flame.
Pro Tips
To make vrat wale aloo sabji or aloo rasedar for Navratri, simply skip the chickpeas and follow the same recipe. For sookhe vrat wale aloo, check here.
You can use store-bought tomato paste or puree if desired.
I have soaked and used dried chickpeas in the recipe. You are free to use even the canned ones or black chana (Kala chana or chickpeas).
The cashews added while making tomato paste makes your dish creamy and gives a unique taste. If desired, you can substitute it with cream, melon seeds, or almonds.
If you like the thicker gravy, lightly mash the cooked potatoes and chickpeas using the back of a spoon or potato masher.
Serving suggestion
If you are serving chole masala on fasting days of Navratri, serve it with sama ke chawal, vrat wale upma, or with puris or roti prepared using kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour) or singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour).
If you are serving it on a regular day, you can serve it with Naan, Roti, Chapati, or other rice items such as steamed rice, Jeera Rice or Ghee Rice, or the very popular Bhatura.
Some more Navratri recipes
- Vrat wale Aloo
- Vrat wale Paneer
- Sabudana Khichdi
- Dahi Bhindi
- 100 + Navratri fasting, upvas, vrat recipes for 9 days
- Sookha Kala Chana
Video
Check here on making of satvik no onion no garlic chickpeas curry (chole).
Instant Pot Vegan Chickpeas Curry
Follow the same steps given above to soak the chickpeas and prepare the tomato puree.
Press the SAUTE button on your instant pot. Add oil and cumin seeds, and saute for a few seconds.
To this, add green chilies and cook for a few more seconds.
Add the ground masala and cook for another 2 minutes.
Now add the drained chickpeas, uncooked potato cubes, salt, and chile powder with 2 cups of water and pressure cook on high for 35 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid of your instant pot. Check for consistency. If you want a thicker version, you can lightly mash the chickpeas and potatoes.
If you have added extra water to adjust the consistency, turn on the saute mode and boil for 2 more minutes. Finally, garnish it with coriander leaves.
FAQs
The chickpeas are soaked so that it helps in faster cooking and gives a buttery, creamy texture when you bite through them. If you have not planned it a day in advance, you can still make chana masala without overnight soaking. Just soak in hot boiling water for 1 hour in this case.
Cashews make the dish rich and creamy with a little hint of sweetness. You can use watermelon seeds or almonds instead of cashews.
If ginger is allowed during fasting, you can add it along with green chilies. Chana masala powder can also be added if allowed to consume on fasting days.
Some people add amla while cooking chickpeas to give it a darker color and sour taste. You can also add one or two tea bags once the chickpeas have been pressure cooked. Let the tea leaves/powder steep for one or two minutes and remove the bag.
Any variety of chana (black, white, or green chickpeas) can be used in the recipe.
Recipe card
No Onion No Garlic Chana Masala | Special Navratri recipe | Chole
Equipment
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mixie or Blender
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Chickpeas dried, yields 3 cups cooked chickpeas
For the ground masala
- 3 Tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon Cashews chopped
- ¼ cup Water
Other Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 to 3 Green chilies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Red chile powder
- Salt or Sendha Namak to taste
- 1 Medium Potato boiled and cubed
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
How to soak and boil chickpeas?
- If you are using canned chickpeas, ignore the step. Otherwise, wash and soak the chickpeas in water overnight (6 to 8 hours).¾ cup Chickpeas
- Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas and add the chickpeas to the pressure cooker with 3 to 4 cups of water.
- Pressure cook for three whistles and let the pressure release naturally. Reserve the water in which you have cooked chickpeas. You can use this water to adjust the consistency of the gravy later.
Making of Chana Masala or Chole
- Add tomatoes and cashews with water in a mixie jar or blender and blend them to smooth paste.3 Tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Cashews, ¼ cup Water
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds. To this, add green chilies and saute for a few seconds.1 tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 2 to 3 Green chilies
- Then add the prepared tomato paste, chile powder, and salt and cook until the mixture bubbles for 3 to 5 minutes. Check out the detailed video here1 teaspoon Red chile powder, Salt or Sendha Namak
- Finally, add the boiled chickpeas, potatoes, 1 ½ cups of water (or aquafaba, i.e., water in which chickpeas were cooked), and bring it to a boil.1 Medium Potato
- Now simmer and continue to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. This gravy thickens as it cools down. So adjust the consistency accordingly based on what you are serving it with.
- Finally, add coriander leaves and mix. Switch off the flame.2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
Video
Notes
- To make vrat wale aloo sabji or aloo rasedar for Navratri, simply skip the chickpeas and follow the same recipe. For sookhe vrat wale aloo, check here.
- You can use store-bought tomato paste or puree if desired.
- I have soaked and used dried chickpeas in the recipe. You are free to use even the canned ones or black chana (Kala chana or chickpeas).
- The cashews added while making tomato paste makes your dish creamy and gives a unique taste. If desired, you can substitute it with cream, melon seeds, or almonds.
- If you like the thicker gravy, lightly mash the cooked potatoes and chickpeas using the back of a spoon or potato masher.
Nutrition
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Dana
Still so flavorful even without the garlic and onion! I was impressed!
Lexi
Love this recipe!