Chana Masala

Spiced chickpea curry

छोले · चना मसाला

chana = chickpeas, masala = spice blend

Active: ~60 min
Yield
Plan ahead: soak 250 g chickpeas overnight
Spice blend: Shan Chana Masala or
Pairs with: bhature, puri, paratha, rice; sliced onion + lemon.

Start Cook Mode

This is the simpler, lighter chickpea curry. For the darker, tangier Punjabi version see .

Ingredients

250 g , drained — see
8 cups water
2–3 tbsp Shan Chana Masala
½ cup / butter / oil
100 g , finely diced
garnish: + lemon

Steps

1.Put the drained chickpeas in 8 cups water; boil 2–3 min on low.
2.Add 2–3 tbsp Shan Chana Masala; stir. Cover; simmer ~45 min until the chickpeas darken.
3.In a second pan, in the ghee.
4.Add the cooked chickpeas; fry until the .
5.Garnish with green chillies and lemon. Serve with puri, paratha, or naan.

Variations

Chole: the darker, tangier sibling — its own recipe in this book.

Pindi chole: no tomato, very dark, sour and peppery (Rawalpindi style).

Chana masala is Punjab on a plate. The chickpeas turning darker means the spices have gone in deep. Paired with deep-fried bhature it becomes chole bhature, a heavy, beloved breakfast. The sour edge — from amchur, pomegranate, or lemon — is what separates it from a plain bean curry.