Easy, quick, spicy and nutrient packed chickpea curry. That’s what Chana Masala is, simply the best way to eat chickpeas, period.
Serve it with a homemade naan or on top of basmati rice and you are in for a treat my friends.
Easy Chana Masala
The humble chickpeas, a.k.a garbanzo beans are the star of this dish. You probably have already guessed it, this awesome curry originates from the Indian Sub-continent, not the British Isles as it is the case for Chicken Tikka Masala.
It’s also known as channay, chole masala or simply chole. Traditional chana masala is a fairly dry and spicy curry. I wanted to do something different, something between a butter chicken and a chana masala.
That being said, here is what we are going to use for this recipe
- Canned chickpeas.
- Coconut milk.
- Tomato paste.
- Coriander.
- Onions.
- Garlic clove.
- Vegetable broth.
- Fresh Ginger.
As far as spices go, these are essential:
- Coriander seeds
- Ground cumin
- Garam masala
- Turmeric
- Paprika
- Ground cardamom.
As usual, you can always spice it up any other way you like. You can use spices mixes like your favorite curry powder, cayenne and fennel seeds. Whatever you wish.
Another optional addition is sweet potatoes. If you’re a big fan of sweet potatoes, feel free to add some as they will add a nice hint of sweetness to your curry. I prefer to keep this version very simple since my aim is to teach you the basic version and let you take it any direction you want.
How to Make Chana Masala
- The first and most important step is to finely mince your garlic, onions and ginger. For best results, put all mentioned ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you get a very fine mix.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, warm up your olive oil and add onions and spices. Cook until translucent.
- Add your coconut milk, drained chickpeas, tomato paste and vegetable broth. Stir and add your drained chickpeas.
- Cook until the sauce thickens and most of the water evaporates. The thickness is completely up to you. I like mine a little thicker than the usual curry.
F.A.Q.
Can I replace tomato paste with another tomato product? Yes. You can use diced tomatoes, passata or even fresh tomatoes.
I don’t like Chickpeas, what else can I use? Tofu is a great substitute, you can also use white kidney beans or even cauliflower.
What Can I serve this with? On top of rice or some handmade vegan naan. Léa has a great recipe, I strongly recommend it.
Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 2 15oz cans of coconut milk
- 2 15oz cans of chickpeas drained
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into 4
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb-size fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Spice mix
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- To a food processor add onion, garlic cloves and ginger. Pulse until you get a fine mixture.
- Heat up a large pot on medium heat with your olive oil. Add onion mix and spice mix stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, coconut milk, tomato paste and broth. Stir, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until you get the desired thickness.
- Top with some freshly chopped coriander and serve.
Nutrition
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