Channa/ Chickpeas masala is a healthy and flavorful Indian dish made with chickpeas, whole spices, and onion-tomato masala base. It is a side dish for poori, chappathi, and rotis. It can also be served as side dish for jeera rice or ghee rice. This Channa/ Chickpeas Masala recipe is very easy to make and I have provided detailed instructions to guide you every step of the way.
Chickpeas are a great source of fibre and protein. This interesting article details the benefits and nutrition value of chickpeas and also provides recipes to included chickpeas in your diet. This Channa/ Chickpeas Masala recipe is fun and flavorful way to included chickpeas in your diet.
How to make Channa Masala?
To make this Channa/ Chickpeas Masala recipe, soak the chickpeas overnight and pressure cook them. Add a pinch of salt to the chickpeas and pressure cook them. The chickpeas are pressure cooked for 5 whistles. Make sure they do not become mushy. Save the pressure cooked channa water.
The pressure cooked chickpeas/channa are cooked in an onion-tomato masala base. The tomatoes for this masala base are blanched in hot water and then pureed. The spices that add flavor to this dish are cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bay leaves, and black cardamom. I use both red chilis and chili powder.
Restaurant-Style Channa Masala!
To make this Channa/ Chickpeas Masala recipe restaurant-style, add a dash of fresh lemon juice, a spoonful of sugar, and lots of fresh cilantro. If you find the masala a bit too runny, just mush a few chickpeas and add them back to the masala. This will help you thicken up the masala. Try this recipe in your kitchen and let me know how it turned out.
Happy cooking!!
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Channa Masala
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup Chickpeas/Bengal Gram/ Garnbanzo Soaked overnight in water and pressure cooked
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 5 cloves
- 5 green cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 black cardamom
- 2 Red chilis
- 1 large Onion Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste Refer notes to learn how to make ginger-garlic paste at home
- 1 tsp Chili powder or as required
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 large Tomato Blanched and pureed
- 2 tsp sugar optional
- 2 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- a handful coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas under running water and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for at least 8 hrs
- Pressure cook the soaked the chickpeas (with a pinch of salt) for 5 whistles and wait until the pressure has been released completely
- Blanch the tomato in a pot of hot water until you see cracks on the skin. Let it cool down and then puree it
- Heat large pot/kadai with oil on medium-high heat
- Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon, cumin, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, and bay leaves. Let them splutter in the oil
- Now add the red chilis and add the onions immediately
- Sauté everything until the onions turn golden brown
- Now add a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and sauté everything for 30 seconds
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Mix everything thoroughly and sauté until the raw smell dissipates
- Now add the tomato puree to the onion mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Keep stirring and wait for the mixture to thicken a little bit
- Now add the the pressure cooked chickpeas to the onion-tomato mixture. Stir everything thoroughly
- Now add about 2 cups or more water in which chickpeas were cooked. Add salt and stir everything thoroughly. Give it a taste and add more salt or chili powder if required
- Let the mixture come to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot/kadai. Let it cook until the masala thickens up and you see oil separation on the surface.
- Now add a 2 tsp of sugar and give it a stir. This is an optional step
- Now add 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice and give it a stir.
- Add a handful of fresh coriander leaves to the masala and stir everything. Turn off the heat and serve immediately with: roti/chappathi or parathas or naan or tortillas or jeera rice
Notes
Directions with pictures
1.Rinse the chickpeas under running water and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for at least 8 hrs
2. Pressure cook the soaked the chickpeas (with a pinch of salt) for 5 whistles and wait until the pressure has been released completely
3. Blanch the tomato in a pot of hot water until you see cracks on the skin. Let it cool down, then remove the skin, and then puree it
4. Heat large pot/kadai with oil on medium-high heat
5. Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon, cumin, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, and bay leaves. Let them splutter in the oil
6. Now add the red chilis and add the onions immediately
7. Sauté everything until the onions turn golden brown
8. Now add a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and sauté everything for 30 seconds
9. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Mix everything thoroughly and sauté until the raw smell dissipates
10. Now add the tomato puree to the onion mixture and mix thoroughly.
11. Keep stirring and wait for the mixture to thicken a little bit
12. Now add the the pressure cooked chickpeas to the onion-tomato mixture. Stir everything thoroughly
13. Now add about 2 cups or more water in which chickpeas were cooked. Add salt and stir everything thoroughly. Give it a taste and add more salt or chili powder if required
14. Let the mixture come to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot/kadai. Let it cook until the masala thickens up and you see oil separation on the surface.
15. Now add a 2 tsp of sugar and give it a stir. This is an optional step
16. Now add 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice and give it a stir.
17. Add a handful of fresh coriander leaves to the masala and stir everything.
18. Turn off the heat and serve immediately with: roti/chappathi or parathas or naan or tortillas or jeera rice
This looks amazing. I’m always looking for new recipes with a lot of flavor and this sounds like it would be perfect with naan or rice. Can’t wait to make it.
What a delicious looking recipe!