Best 2 Shortcut Chana Masala Recipes

**Chana Masala: A Flavorful Chickpea Curry Dish**

Chana masala is a classic Indian dish that combines chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, and a variety of spices to create a flavorful and aromatic curry. This versatile dish can be served with rice, chapati, or naan and is a great option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. This article provides three different recipes for chana masala, each with its own unique flavor profile. The first recipe is a traditional chana masala made with a blend of spices including cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. The second recipe is a quick and easy shortcut chana masala that uses pre-made garam masala paste to save time. The third recipe is a creamy chana masala that adds coconut milk and yogurt for a rich and velvety texture. All three recipes are easy to follow and can be customized to suit your own taste preferences. Whether you're looking for a classic chana masala, a quick and easy weeknight meal, or a creamy and indulgent curry, this article has a recipe for you.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

CHANA MASALA RECIPE

Chana Masala Recipe image

Simple chana masala recipe made in restaurant style. Chana masala is a popular Indian dish made with chickpeas in an onion tomato gravy. It goes great as a side with rice, paratha or roti.

Provided by Swasthi

Categories Side

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 cup chana ((dried raw chickpeas) (or 3 cups soaked or 2 - 15 oz cans))
1½ cups water ((more to make gravy))
2 tablespoon oil (or as needed)
1 small bay leaf ((optional))
1 inch cinnamon ((optional))
2 cloves ((optional))
2 green cardamoms ((optional))
1½ cups onions ((fine chopped, 2 large))
1 green chili (slit or chopped (optional))
¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste ((or ½ tbsp each fine chopped) )
1½ cups tomatoes ((fine chopped, 3 large or 1½ cups tomato puree))
¾ teaspoon salt ((+ more to adjust to taste))
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder ((adjust to taste))
1 teaspoon garam masala ((adjust to taste))
2 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder ((optional))
1 teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves) (optional))
¼ teaspoon amchur ((dried mango powder) (optional))
2 tbsp coriander leaves ((cilantro chopped finely))

Steps:

Rinse dried chickpeas at least thrice. Soak them in 3 ½ to 4 cups of water overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Drain the water and rinse them well. Pour 1 ½ cups water and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on a stovetop cooker. You may also cook in an instant pot for 18 minutes on a high pressure. Let the pressure drop naturally.
Make sure your chickpeas are soft and tender. Squeeze a chickpea to test, it should get mashed fully. If not cook them for a little longer.
Heat a large pot and pour oil. When the oil turns slightly hot, add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and bay leaf.
When they begin to sizzle add the onions and saute until they turn light golden.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute without burning.
Add tomatoes and salt. Let cook until mushy, pulpy and thick.
Stir in red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder. Saute until the masala begins to smell good, for about 3 to 4 mins.
Optional - If you want a smooth curry, cool this, discard the bay leaf and cinnamon. Blend in a blender to a smooth or coarse paste to suit your liking. I prefer to blend in 2 tbsps cooked chana along with the onion tomato masala. Add that puree back to the pan.
Add the chana along with the chana stock (1¼ cups). Pour another ¾ to 1 cup water. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them before adding with 1 ¾ cups water.
Mix well. Taste test and add more salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
When the consistency is thick (check pics), add amchur powder (optional) and kasuri methi.
Garnish Chana masala with coriander leaves. Sprinkle some lemon juice if required.
To make the recipe in Instant pot, make the onion tomato masala on saute mode. Optionally If you want you may cool and blend this. Add the soaked chickpeas with 2 cups water. Deglaze and Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. When the pressure drops, open the lid. Cook on a saute mode for a few minutes until thick. Add kasuri methi and amchur.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 193 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 9 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 519 mg, Fiber 7 g, Sugar 8 g, TransFat 1 g, UnsaturatedFat 8 g, ServingSize 1 serving

CHANA MASALA

Chana Masala image

Chana masala or chickpea curry, often called Amritsari Chole, originates from Punjab but is popular all over India. There are many versions of this dish and every house has its own take on it. This super authentic recipe from my mother-in-law's kitchen is my favorite, with the chickpeas smothered in a delicious thick, piquant and spiced gravy. First, they are cooked and infused with black tea and black cardamom, then simmered with a masala made with supremely aromatic roasted spices. This dish gets its tang from dried pomegranate seeds and raw mango powder. Though it's a little bit of work, it is the real McCoy and once you've had this version, nothing else will live up to it!

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 9h45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 27

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 pinch of baking soda
2 bay leaves
1 black tea bag (or 2 teaspoons black tea leaves in a muslin bag)
1 black cardamom pod
Kosher salt
1/4 cup ghee or oil (I like to use a combination of both)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or mashed
2 medium cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
1 to 4 Thai green chiles or serrano peppers, finely chopped (see Cook's Note)
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or whole peeled canned tomatoes, chopped; 1 cup)
Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend, recipe follows
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving, optional
Julienned ginger slaw, for serving, optional (see Cook's Note)
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
One 2-inch piece cinnamon
2 black cardamom pods
2 teaspoons dried pomegranate powder (anardana)
1 teaspoon raw mango powder (amchur)
1 teaspoon black salt, such as Himalayan black salt or kala namak
1 teaspoon red chile powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

Steps:

Drain the chickpeas, then combine them in a large Dutch oven with the baking soda, bay leaves, black tea bag, black cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. (To pressure cook the chickpeas, see Cook's Note.) Bring the mixture to a boil in a large Dutch oven, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered with a lid, until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly before the chickpeas are tender, pour in an additional 1 cup of water and continue to cook. Discard the tea bag, bay leaves and cardamom. Drain the chickpeas and put them back in the pot.
Meanwhile, heat the ghee and/or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook until the raw smell goes away, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until well cooked and pasty, about 8 minutes. Add the Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend along with 2 tablespoons of water and saute until well mixed and the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the spice mixture to the chickpeas with 1 cup of water (see Cook's Note), mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until the curry thickens and coats and infuses the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges or julienned ginger slaw, if desired.
Combine the whole spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom) in a small heavy skillet (preferably cast iron, if you have it) and roast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often to ensure even roasting, until the spices start getting darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add the powdered spices (pomegranate powder, mango powder, black salt, chile powder, turmeric and asafoetida) and cook, shaking or stirring constantly, until slightly darker, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the spices. Immediately transfer the spices to a bowl and cool. Once cooled, grind the spices. You can double or triple this recipe and keep it in an airtight container for future use.

Tips:

For a more authentic flavor, use homemade garam masala instead of store-bought.
If you don't have time to soak the chickpeas overnight, you can use canned chickpeas. Just be sure to rinse them well before using.
To make the dish vegan, you can use coconut milk instead of yogurt.
Serve chana masala with rice, roti, or naan.
Garnish with cilantro, chopped onion, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Conclusion:

Shortcut chana masala is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is packed with flavor and is sure to be a hit with the whole family. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe, give shortcut chana masala a try. You won't be disappointed!