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    Home Β» Non Instant Pot

    Chana Masala – Chole

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.    

    Published: Sep 28, 2016 | Updated: Feb 1, 2020 | Author: Paint the Kitchen Red | 14 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE


    Chana Masala / CholeChana Masala is a very popular dish and is sure to be on every Indian restaurant menu. Chana Masala, which is also known as Chole, is a vegetarian dish made with garbanzos/chickpeas that is more a dry dish than a gravy. It’s traditionally a North Indian dish that’s also popular as a street food and is served with pooris, chapatis, naan or bhaturas which are different kinds of breads that accompany Indian food. AndΒ every region and household probably has its own take on the recipe for Chana Masala. The traditional recipe has a perfect blend of salty, spicy, and sour with a hint of sweetness. Although my momma mayΒ not approve, I make my Chana Masala with canned garbanzos. It just makes the dish so quick and easy to make and I can have it on the dinner table in less than 30 minutes. The ‘real’ way would be to soak the garbanzos overnight, cook them from scratch, and proceed with the recipe.

    If you’ve tried my Indian Chicken Curry recipe, the base of this dish will be familiar to you: Fry mustard and cumin, then onion, garlic, ginger, then tomato paste and and finally the spices. The spices are different here though, because I use a prepared Chana Masala spice mix sinceΒ that’s what I’ve found gives me that perfect combination of spicy, salty, sour, and sweet flavors each time I make this dish. If you prefer not to use the Chana Masala spice, which will be available at any Indian grocery store or online, check my notes at the end of the recipe to find a substitute using coriander, turmeric, chili powder, etc. One box of the Chana Masala spice mix will last you a while, and so I think it’s worth purchasing it if you can. Amchur is another spice that you canΒ purchase at an Indian grocery store. It gives the dish a tangy taste. You can easily substitute lemon juice for the amchur, or if you like your Chana Masala less sour, eliminate it altogether. Β The chana masala spice mix has a bit of amchur in it already. Β Try it with Fried Potatoes, Kerala StyleΒ and with naan and plain yogurt on the side.

    GO DIRECTLYΒ TO RECIPE

    Chana Masala / Chole Ingredients

    Chana Masala Ingredients

     

    Chana Masala / Chole Stages of Cooking

    Chana Masala Stages of Cooking

     

    And finally here’s the recipe. Β I hope you enjoy it and if you try it out, I’d love to hear back from you!

    Chana Masala / Chole

    Chana Masala - Chole

    A delicious, quick and easy vegetarian Indian garbanzo dish that is just the right combination of spicy, salty, sour and a hint of sweet.
    5 from 2 votes
    PRINT RATE
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
    • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
    • 1 Tbsp minced ginger
    • 1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped finely (or to taste)
    • 1 Tbsp chana masala spice mix **
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
    • 2 tsp lemon juice or 1/4 tsp Amchur mango powder - optional
    • 2 16- oz. cans garbanzo beans drained
    • ΒΌ cup cilantro chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.
    • When oil is very hot, add mustard seeds and immediately cover the pan, allowing the mustard seeds to pop.
    • Lower heat to medium and remove cover. Add cumin seeds.
    • Immediately add onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno; fry well until golden brown, stirring frequently. Lower the heat if necessary, to make sure onions caramelize and don't burn.
    • Add tomato paste and, stirring frequently, cook until the oil separates and the mixture becomes paste-like, about 5 minutes; Add a teaspoon or two of hot water if the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
    • Stir in spices and salt, fry briefly till fragrant. Add brown sugar and lemon juice / mango powder. Stir for 30 seconds. Add Β½ cup water and garbanzo beans; bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer till thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
    • Garnish with cilantro.
    • Serve with rice or naan.

    Notes

    ** If you don't have a chana masala spice mix, substitute the following: 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or Indian chili powder, 1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine Indian
    Main Ingredient beans, vegetarian
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Yoav M

      July 10, 2021 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Neena. My father-in-law is now staying with us and he is vegan and likes Indian and Thai food very much. He has always enjoyed chana masala when we’ve gone to Indian restaurants so I decided to check to see if you had a chana masala recipe… and I found this. I was confident it would be delicious because all your recipes are and you didn’t disappoint one bit. He loved it!!! I’ll admit I’ve learned your recipes are a bit too spicy for my palette so I always cut the pepper and cayenne in half but it turned out to have just enough kick for me to enjoy it and he enjoyed it too even though he loves everything super spicy. Thanks as always for a great recipe!!!!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        July 11, 2021 at 2:40 pm

        Hi Yoav – thank you so much for sharing that. I’m really glad you found the recipe and liked it! I keep meaning to post an Instant Pot version of the recipe; it’s on the to-do list! You made my day πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Neil

      May 04, 2020 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing!!! Thank you. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        May 05, 2020 at 2:32 pm

        Thanks Neil! I don’t get a lot of people trying out my non-Instant Pot recipes (oldies but goodies) so you made my day!

        Reply
    3. Kate

      January 22, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      I made your Chana Masala recipe in the Instant Pot that I found on the Red & Honey website, and it was tremendous! Do you have an Instant Pot dal recipe? Would love to try to make dal in my Instant Pot, but not really sure where to begin since I’ve never made it before either in the IP or the stovetop. Thanks for considering a blog post on dal! πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 22, 2018 at 5:43 pm

        Hi Kate, how great that you found me through that recipe πŸ™‚ Yes, I will add dal to the list of requests. I don’t have one yet. Thanks for your comment!

        Reply
        • Kate

          January 23, 2018 at 9:40 am

          Cool! Thank you!

          Reply
    4. Anar

      July 22, 2017 at 10:29 pm

      I noticed you tend to use tomato paste instead of tomatoes in your recipes. Any particular reason for this?
      Thanks,
      Anar

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        July 23, 2017 at 7:33 am

        Hi Anar, thanks for your question. There are a couple of reasons. When my mom lived in places where tomatoes weren’t always in season, she used tomato paste as a substitute because it gave a fresher taste than tomatoes from cold storage which are kind of mealy tasting. I got the recipes from her, and continued to use tomato paste. I always have tomato paste in my freezer: I open a can, freeze on wax paper in 1 tablespoon quantities and store in a ziploc bag. I also like that tomato paste gives a nice tomato flavor but a very smooth consistency. You can definitely substitute chopped tomatoes. When I use chopped tomatoes, I tend to give them a quick blend to make them smooth (because my mom does this too!). But that’s not necessary.

        Reply
    5. Aya

      April 06, 2017 at 3:24 am

      Hi!
      Can I replace chana masala spice mix with garam masala spice mix? And would regular mustard seeds be as good?
      Can’t wait to try this recipe!
      Thanx!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        April 06, 2017 at 9:48 am

        Hi Aya, garam masala is pretty different from the chana masala spice mix but you can definitely add it in (I do sometimes). However, only add in about 1 teaspoon or so, and add it in towards the end of cooking (about 5 min before). The notes section of the recipe has a substitute for chana masala spices – add in whichever of those spices that you have on hand. And yes, regular mustard seeds will be just fine.

        Reply
    6. Joyce

      December 17, 2016 at 11:44 pm

      Ahhhhhhh I need to try this! I have a lot of garbanzo beans at home that I have no clue what to do with, I kept telling myself I should either make a hummus or a curry but I am terrible at making indian food, all my curries end up tasting the same! or very bland. I am so glad I found you and that I found this! πŸ™‚ I can be your young grasshopper and you can teach me the ways! πŸ™‚ Yay haha

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        December 20, 2016 at 4:05 am

        Oh, I can’t imagine you being terrible at making something Joyce! You probably just didn’t have the right recipe! Let me know if you try it out.

        Reply
    7. Elizabeth

      December 16, 2016 at 5:37 am

      I loveee chana masala! Yours look so good! I’m so bad at making Indian food, heh.

      Reply

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