Authentic Chana Masala

This authentic chana masala recipe is the rich, thick chickpea curry I grew up eating and now make myself. Soft chickpeas simmer in a red-orange onion-tomato gravy with chana masala powder and kasoori methi until rich, comforting yet full of vibrant flavour. I serve it with fluffy bhature on special occasions or roti or paratha day to day.

Pair with Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice).

Jump to:

• Chana Masala or Chole?
• Ingredients
• How to make Authentic Chana Masala
• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• FAQS
• Other Classic Indian Curry Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

My mum first learnt the basic ingredients for this chana masala from a Punjabi friend. Since then, we have made it multiple times a year, every year, until it became our own family version.

For me, the flavour is all about balance. The gravy should be thick, spicy and full of flavour, but not harsh. The chickpeas should be soft and creamy inside, but not mushy.

It is one of those curries that feels especially good in winter, with bhature for a special meal or with roti, paratha and rice at home.

Chana Masala or Chole?

I think of this recipe as chana masala, not dark Punjabi chole.

Chole is often deeper brown and may use tea, black cardamom, amchur or a stronger chole masala blend.

This chana masala has a more red-orange gravy from the onion and tomato base. I do not add tea here because that belongs more to chole, not this family-style chana masala.

Ingredients

Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post

Chickpeas

Dried chickpeas give the best texture. I cook them until they are creamy inside and easy to mash between my fingers, but not falling apart.

Tinned chickpeas work too, but they usually have a little more bite. Simmer them well so they absorb the gravy.

For my chickpea cooking method, see my instant pot chickpeas guide.

Onion, garlic, ginger and chilli paste

Blending these into a paste helps the gravy come together.

If the base is chopped instead of blended, the curry can still taste good, but the sauce will not thicken in quite the same way.

Tomatoes

I like tinned plum tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or passata here because they give better colour and depth than weak fresh tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes until the moisture reduces and the base looks thicker.

Chana masala powder

This is essential for the flavour of this recipe.

I have used many brands over the years. The main thing is freshness. Once chana masala powder has been sitting in the cupboard for too long, the flavour fades and you may need to add more.

Kasoori methi

Kasoori methi gives the curry depth and a slightly restaurant-style aroma.

Crush it between your palms before adding.

How to make Authentic Chana Masala

Full printable recipe in recipe card below.

See video for step by step recipe.

Firstly, you need to prepare your chickpeas.

If you have dried chickpeas, you first need to soak chickpeas overnight. Simply place a cup of chickpeas in a large bowl and pour over cold, fresh water. Cover with a towel. Ensure your bowl is big enough as the chickpeas will expand. Using hot water at this stage does not make much difference in how well the chickpeas will soak.

Take the soaked chickpeas and place in a pressure cooker, See the Ultimate Guide to Instant Pot Chickpeas for more information and further instructions on cooking dried chickpeas in the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Preparing the gravy

Using a food processor, blend the onions, garlic, green chillies and ginger to achieve a paste.

You can finely chop using a knife but the curry will not thicken as effectively.

Heat the oil on a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, green chilli and ginger paste. Continue to cook on a medium-low heat until the raw smell disappears and the mixture is changing colour.

This is a really important step as undercooking the onion-garlic also leads to a watery gravy.

Next, add the crushed tomatoes and keep the heat on low. Cook until the mixture has reduced and you start seeing oil appearing on the sides of the pan.

Add the ground spices - the red chili powder, turmeric, ground cumin and coriander and garam masala. Next add the chana masala powder and mix.

Let the spices cook for around 1 minute but not much longer - we do not want the spices to burn.

Adding the chickpeas

Tip in the buttery soft cooked chickpeas and add in a few cups of water. I usually add in the chickpea water. Add the salt and crumble in kasoori methi. This technique helps the kasoori methi release its aroma.

You may have to add in a little bit of water as the chickpeas cook.

I keep the lid off the pan and allow the water to come to a boil. Once it does, reduce the heat to a simmer and place the lid on the pan. You will need to cook the curry until the sauce has thickened and the onion masala and water have turned into a gravy.

If you can still see the onion mixture separate from the water, the curry is not cooked. You have to be patient with chickpeas - they take longer to cook than other beans recipes.

If you can see a lot of water still, mash a few of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon to thicken the sauce further.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from the heat.

Instant Pot Chana Masala

It is possible to make chana masala directly in the instant pot however the flavour and texture will not be as good as cooking in the pan. Pressure cooking the gravy diminishes the flavour but this is handy if you want to make it a one-pot meal.

I already use my instant pot to cook the dried chickpeas but with this recipe, you can make the entire chana masala recipe in the instant pot using dried chickpeas that do not require cooking beforehand.

I would recommend you still soak the chickpeas beforehand as this reduces the time needed to pressure cook. Also, soaking legumes in advance makes them easier to digest.

You follow the same steps as the recipe above but when it comes to adding the cooked chickpeas, you will instead add soaked chickpeas. The curry will then need to be pressure cooked to allow the chickpeas to go soft and buttery.

For 2 cups of soaked chickpeas you will need to add 2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 40 minutes at High Pressure with Natural Pressure Release

If you have totally forgotten to soak the chickpeas, then I would add 3 cups of water to every 2 cups of dried chickpeas and Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 55 minutes with NPR.

I also love making this Indian Chickpea Salad and Chickpea Tikka Masala or chickpea and coconut curry in the Instant Pot.

Serving Suggestions

In Indian homes, you will find that authentic chana masala is served alongside super soft rotlis or even tandoori style rotis. I also like to serve with Aloo Baingan that can be your vegan side dish.

On a lazy Sunday morning, for brunch we love to have Chana Masala with Bhathure (deep fried levened Indian flat bread) and Punjabi Sweet Lassi.

If you want to create a fake away, serve alongside some warm naan like these restaurant style garlic and coriander naans and Masala Poppadoms

Plain jeera rice made using basmati rice is a brilliant accompaniment. If you want to reduce the carbs of your meal then you could serve it with cauliflower rice.

Sometimes I serve with takeaway style yellow pilau rice too.

My personal favourite is a side salad of Indian Kachumber salad made with red onions, tomato, cucumber and chopped coriander.

You can also serve with Indian Onion Salad similar to British Indian Restaurants do.

Storage

You can store chana masala once it has reached room temperature.

Fridge - Store in an airtight container up-to 3-4 days away from the dairy produce to prevent smells from settling.

I love to use leftover chana masala in making Samosa Chaat

Freezer - Chana Masala keeps really well in the freezer. To completely revive it, do another tempering with oil.

Heat a tablespoon of oil, when its hot, add a pinch of garam masala or chana masala powder and immediately tip in the defrosted or thawed chana masala.

Allow it to heat until its piping hot throughout before serving.

FAQS

Other Classic Indian Curry Recipes

• Palak Paneer (Instant Pot)

• Punjabi Saag Paneer

• Punjabi Matar Paneer

• Paneer Jalfrezi

• Saag Aloo

• Rajma Masala

• Daal Makhani (Instant Pot)

• Paneer Tikka Masala (Microwave)

• Chana Saag

• Shahi Paneer Restaurant Style

• Indian Vegetable Curry

• Whole Masoor Dal

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📖 Recipe

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in March 2010.