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Punjabi chole masala served in a white bowl with steamed rice
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Chana Masala- Indian Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas ( Garbanzo) cooked with spices and an Indian style onion tomato curry base.
Prep Time8 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Accompaniments, Mains
Cuisine: Punjabi
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 177kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker

Ingredients

For Hydrating the Chickpeas

  • 2 c Garbanzo beans
  • 6 c Water

For Pressure cooking the chickpeas

  • 1 recipe Hydrated Garbanzo beans ( Chickpeas)
  • 1 tbsp Chana Dal (Bengal gram)
  • 5 c Water
  • 1 Tea bags
  • 1/4 tsp Cooking Soda
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 2 to 3 pods Green Cardamom
  • 1 Bay leaf

For the gravy base

  • 1.5 tsp Ginger grated
  • 1 tsp Minced garlic
  • 1 c finely chopped onions
  • 1 tsp Paprika or Red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
  • 1.25 tsp Chole Masala
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 2.5 tsp Ground coriander
  • 1.5 c Ground tomatoes Blend 3 tomatoes in a blender.
  • 2.5 tbsp Oil

For the garnish

  • 1 slit Green chilli
  • 1 tsp Ginger chopped into julienne
  • 2 tbsp Finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

Hydrating the chickpeas

  • Wash your chickpeas under water once or twice.
  • Then drain all the water used for washing. For every 1 cup of chickpeas, add 3 to 4 c of water.
  • Let it hydrate for at least 6 to 8 hours.

Pressure cooking the chickpeas

  • Drain all the water used for hydrating the chickpeas.
  • Add the drained chickpeas and channa dal to a pressure cooker along with 4 c water, bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, tea bag, baking soda and salt to taste.
  • Pressure cook this for 4 whistles. Do not over cook the chickpeas. We need them to hold shape. If they are cooked to a mush, then the texture of our Chole will change.
  • Allow the pressure to release naturally.
  • Open when done and discard the tea bag and the whole spices.
  • Now drain the water from the chickpeas and reserve 1.5 c of this water. Discard the rest.

Making the Chole

  • When the chickpeas are ready, remove about 1/4 c of the cooked chickpeas and transfer this to a mixing bowl.
  • Mash this using a potato masher.
  • Add 1/4 of the reserved water to this. Mix well. Set aside.
  • Heat a pan with oil. Now, add the ginger and garlic. Saute till garlic begins to become brown.
  • At this point, add the onions and mix well. Add salt to the onions to help cook them faster.
  • Now add all the spice powders and mix well.
  • Next, add the ground tomatoes and mix well.
  • Cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
  • When the tomatoes are cooked, add the chickpeas and mix well.
  • Now, add the reserved water and combine.
  • Simmer for 2 to 3 mins.
  • Add the mashed chickpeas mixture and mix well.
  • Simmer for 4 to 5 mins until the gravy comes together. The gravy will be thicker at this point.
  • When done, garnish with ginger juliennes, finely chopped green chilis and finely chopped cilantro.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
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