chana masala recipe with step by step photos – this is one easy and yet lip smacking punjabi chole masala recipe which taste awesome.
this is one of the most tried and tested delicious chickpea curry recipe on the blog. it has been tried not only by me innumerable times, but also by many readers.
there are many variations of making chole recipe. but i liked this punjabi chana masala recipe the most. it tastes like the punjabi chole masala you get in the streets of delhi and punjab. the chole recipe has been adapted from anita’s blog. over a period of six years years from the time i adapted this recipe, i made some changes in proportions as well as ingredients. after so many changes, here is a recipe which gives a good balance of spiciness, taste and flavor. so i decided to update this in the post too.
the original chole recipe on this blog was published on aug 20 2009. its 8 years now and i have now updated the recipe with the variations and with step by step pics. however, keeping the old pic of the spices i took with mobile when i started the blog in 2009, just as a memoir.
tips to make authentic punjabi chana masala
- i use dried amla (dried indian gooseberry) and dry pomegranate seeds. the dried amla gives a dark color to the chole, along with a light tang. the pomegranate seeds give a sour taste.
- now i know that these two ingredients are not easily available everywhere in india as well as in the world. so as a substitute, when i did not get these, two ingredients, i would add dry mango powder (amchur powder) towards the end. in the absence of amchur powder, you can also squeeze some lime juice towards the end.
- if you are not fussy about the dark color, then just plainly cook the chickpeas in water with some salt. a pinch of baking soda added while cooking, makes the chickpeas light and soft. i usually do not add baking soda.
- what contributes to the flavors and aroma of the chole is the freshly ground chole masala. the spices are roasted till they get extra browned and are later ground. this chole masala is then blended with sauted onion-ginger-tomato mixture. this makes the chole more flavorsome.
chole bhature is mine and the family’s favorite dish. when living in delhi and gurgaon, we would get awesome chole bhature in many places. since i do not live in these places any more, i make this recipe often which tastes exactly like the street side chole, minus the heat. since we don’t prefer too spicy food. but you can increase the quantity of red chili powder and garam masala powder to get the extra spice and heat.
serve this delicious punjabi chole masala with tandoori rotis or phulka or kulcha or bhaturas or poori or naan, along with sliced onions and lime. this chickpea curry also tastes good with plain rice or jeera rice.
if you are looking for more punjabi recipes then do check:
chana masala
INGREDIENTS FOR chana masala
for pressure cooking chole or chana
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas OR 200 grams white chickpeas (garbanzo beans, kabuli chana or safed chole)
- 2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas
- 2 to 3 dried amla OR indian gooseberry or 1 black tea bag, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
ingredients for chana masala gravy
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 small garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger, crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle or ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder optional
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder), optional and only to be added when you do not have dry pomegranate seeds
- 2 to 3 green chilies slit
- 1 to 1.25 cups water or the stock in which the chickpeas were cooked
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
spices for chana masala
- 2 black cardamoms (elaichi)
- 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- 3 to 4 black peppers (sabut kali mirch)
- 2 cloves (lavang)
- 1 medium sized tej patta (indian bay leaf) or 2 small tej patta
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (dhania)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ½ teaspoon dry pomegranate seeds (anardana)
- 1 to 2 kashmiri dry red chilies (sookhi kashmiri lal mirch)
for garnishing chana masala
- some chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
- ½ inch ginger (adrak) julienne
- 1 medium onion sliced or chopped
- 1 medium tomato sliced or chopped
- 1 lime (nimbu) sliced or quartered
HOW TO MAKE chana masala
soaking and cooking chana
- rinse and soak the chole (chickpeas) in enough water overnight. add enough amount of water as the chole increase in size after soaking it. rinse the soaked chickpeas.
- to give a dark color to the chana, traditionally dried amla (indian gooseberries) are added. these also give a faint sourness to the stock. if you do not have dried amla, then add 1 black tea bag.
- in a pressure cooker add the chole along with the 3 to 4 dried amla pieces or a tea bag. taj tea bags work very well. then add water
- season with salt and pressure cook the chana for 12 to 15 whistles. the chana should be cooked well an softened. the chole should be soft when you mash it with a spoon. the chana should not give you a bite when you eat it.
roasting spices for making chana masala
- In a pan, take all the whole spices for the chole masala mentioned above and on a low heat begin to roast them.
- stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. don't burn them. you have to go beyond a point roasting them even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually.
- let these roasted spices cool and then grind them finely in a coffee grinder or in a dry grinder.
- by now the chana will be cooked. you will see a darker brown shade in the safed (white chana). remove the amla pieces which would have softened by now or the tea bag from the stock.
making chana masala
- heat oil in a pan or kadai. add ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
- then add chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
- add tomatoes & saute them till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.
- then add the powdered chole masala that we ground, along with the red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder (optional).
- stir the dry masala and then add slit green chilies
- add the cooked chole. stir well.
- add salt. then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chana was boiled. you can also add water instead.
- stir and cover the chana.
cooking chana masala
- simmer chole masala on a low to medium flame. you can also cook without the lid.
- the chole masala gravy will thicken and reduce. mash a few chana. this will help thicken the chana masala gravy.
- simmer till you get the consistency you prefer. the chana masala consistency is not thin, but medium consistency or dry.
- in case, you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while roasting the spices, then you need to add amchur powder (dry mango powder) now. stir the gravy well.
- garnish chole masala with coriander leaves & ginger julienne.
- serve the punjabi chole recipe with kulchas, bhaturas, pooris, rotis, along with sliced onions, tomatoes and lime.
- this chickpea curry also tastes good with steamed rice or jeera rice.
RECIPE TIPS
tips for making chickpea curry
- if you don't have amchur or dried pomegranate seeds then add lime or lemon juice toward the end.
- you can also use canned chickpeas and add them once the tomatoes are sauteed.
- you have to take enough water in the pot while cooking the chole. it takes a lot of time though. for 1.5 to 2 cups of soaked & drained chole, you can take about 5-6 cups of water.
- adding a pinch of baking soda in the water along with salt, also helps in the cooking process and the chana become really soft when cooked.
- you can add about 1 tsp of salt. a little less salt is also alright. i usually add less salt.
- cover the pot and cook the chana. if the water starts to become frothy, then remove the lid and cook chana for some minutes. remove the scum if there is any while cooking the chana.
how to make chana masala or chole recipe
for ease of understanding, i have divided this chana masala post into 3 steps.
- step 1 – soaking and cooking chana
- step 2 – roasting spices to make chana masala powder
- step 3 – making chana masala gravy
lets begin with step 1 – soaking and pressure cooking chana
1. wash and soak 1 cup chole (chickpeas) in enough water overnight. add enough amount of water as the chickpeas increase in size after soaking it. rinse the soaked chickpeas in water. pic of rinsed & soaked chickpeas.
2. to give a dark color to the chana, traditionally dried amla (indian gooseberries) are added. these also give a faint sourness to the stock. if you do not have dried amla, then add 1 black tea bag. you can also just cook the chickpeas with salt and water.
3. in a pressure cooker add the chole along with the 2 to 3 dried amla pieces or a tea bag. taj tea bags work very well. then pour 2.5 to 3 cups water.
4. season with ½ tsp salt. stir very well.
5. pressure cook the chana for 12 to 15 whistles. the chana should be cooked well an softened. the chole should be soft when you mash it with a spoon. the chana should not give you a bite when you eat it. if you do not have a pressure cooker, then cook the chickpeas in a pot with plenty of water. depending on the quality of chana, it can take less or more time.
making chana masala powder
6. meanwhile, in a pan, take all the whole spices for the chole masala and on a low heat begin to roast them. the spices used for masala are following:
- 2 black cardamoms/elaichi
- 1 inch cinnamon/dalchini
- 3 to 4 peppercorns/sabut kali mirch
- 2 cloves/lavang
- 1 medium indian bay leaf/tej patta or 2 small tej patta
- ¼ tsp carom seeds/ajwain
- 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
- 1 tsp coriander seeds/dhania
- 1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
- ½ tsp dry pomegranate seeds/anardana
- 1 or 2 dry red chilies
7. stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. don’t burn them. you have to go beyond a point roasting them, even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually.
8. the extra browned & roasted chana masala spices below.
9. let these roasted spices cool and then grind them finely in a coffee grinder or in a dry grinder.
10. by now the chana is cooked. pic below. you will see a darker brown shade in the safed (white chana) or chickpeas. remove the amla pieces which would have softened by now or the tea bag from the stock.
making chana masala
11. heat 1.5 to 2 tbsp oil in a pan or kadai. add ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
12. then add 1 medium sized finely chopped onion and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
13. add 1 medium sized finely chopped tomato.
14. saute the tomatoes till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.
15. then add the powdered spices that we made, along with ½ tsp red chili powder and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
16. stir well. then add 2 to 3 slit green chilies to the onion-ginger-tomato mixture.
17. add the cooked & drained chole. reserve the stock.
18. stir well.
19. season with salt as per requirement. stir. keep the addition of salt in check as salt is also there in the stock.
20. add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the reserved stock or water. stir well.
cooking chana masala
21. cover the chana masala and simmer on a low to medium flame. you can also cook chole without the lid. the chole masala gravy will thicken and reduce. mash a few chana. this will help thicken the chana masala gravy. you can keep the consistency you prefer. at home we prefer the chole with a bit of gravy.
22. in case, you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while roasting the spices, then you need to add amchur powder (dry mango powder) now. about 1 tsp amchur powder is enough. however, you can add less or more of it as per your taste. stir chana masala gravy very well.
23. the chana masala ready to be served.
24. garnish chana masala with chopped onions and coriander leaves. serve the punjabi chole recipe with kulcha or bhaturas or aloo bhatura or poori or naan or roti, along with sliced onions and lime. this chickpea curry also tastes good with plain rice or jeera rice.
Thank you, Dassana 🙂
Dear Dassana,
I am one of your many silent, but faithful recipe followers. Of course, your recipes are great, like this one. But what I truly admire about you is your calm, patient nature. You never get sarcastic, never not answer…even when something is unrelated to a given recipe. I think that warmth, that ability to be simple and respond to people is your biggest strength. You’ve retained this quality, despite your enormous popularity. Kudos to you!
Now, my silly question 😉
I’ve always wondered through my tears, while chopping onions, that is it really worth it? Is there a REAL difference to a Curry’s taste if the onions are ground to paste in a mixer with ginger and garlic, or if they are chopped fine? I think, you are best placed to answer this, with your home science background and experience in cooking. I am always looking at ways to shorten my cooking time. Some of my friends also freeze the basic curry and then use frozen cubes. What is your take on that? It would be wonderful if you can add section on make-ahead dishes, OPOS cooking, etc. I know, i know, I know, I know… A lot of what I ask is there in your tips…. Somehow it doesn’t leap out when I am searching. I also want to bake things, because it’s easier sometimes than standing around frying when you have guests. And carving out a section, from your already existing repertoire, for easy hacks, party planning, etc…will help.
Please keep inspiring us! My very best wishes and warm regards to you!
Sulekha
thank you much sulekha. felt good reading your comment. thanks again.
now for your query – onions whether chopped, minced or made into a paste – all three make the curry or gravy taste different. sauteed onions give a completely different taste to a gravy than minced onions or onion paste. the complete taste changes. even frying onions till light golden or golden, changes the taste of the curry. you can use frozen onion paste cubes as it saves time and effort. soak onions for about 30 minutes before peeling and chopping. the tears will be less or won’t be there.
thanks for sharing the suggestions. i will see if i can add them. thanks again.
Hi, I made this recipe for my mother’s 60th birthday Party and I got so many compliments! Almost every one noted down your blog name!
Thank you for the recipe!
thanks archana for sharing your experience and feedback on chana masala recipe. glad to know. welcome.
Hi Dassana! I’m in love with your recipes. I tried your many recipes and it turns out great. Thanks for the blog and keep posting your recipes.love you 😊
thank you lopa for this sweet comment. hugs and wish you all the best. happy cooking.
I have tried this recipe so many times.. and every time it’s a hit.. Thank you so much for a lovely recipe.. Your recipes never fail as per my experience till now..😊😊
so glad to know anuprita. thanks for the feedback as well as the review.
what a simply lipsmacking gravy of chickpeas!
I cannot imagine anyone not liking this…..
HATS OFF TO YOU,MA’AM!
thank you radhika 🙂
Hi Dassana, just wanted to say thank you for the amazing recipes. I have used your Bhature recipe time and again, each time it turns out perfect. It really simplifies making it. Could not leave this comment there, because the thread wasn’t showing up for some reason. I too live abroad and although I have an arsenal of spices I don’t have black tea 🙂 we just aren’t tea drinkers. The amla and pomegranate seeds are going to be impossible to find. Do you have a third alternative? Or is it ok to just go without? Thanks once again, love from China.
thank you eshaa and nice to know. for the chole, just skip everything. sometimes its not possible to get all the ingredients where one lives. i hope the punjabi chana masala recipe comes very well for you.
Dear Dassana,
I absolutely love your website and this particular recipe! Now I’m in a situation where I need to make it for a hundred people… do you have some tips regarding proportions (mostly spices)? Like do I really need to put 40 black cardamoms and 40 green chilies?
Thanks for your amazing work! Regards from France, Camille.
thanks camille. when making any curry or gravy dish, the ingredients have to be added in approximation or eye balling them or intuition. so you won’t need to add 40 cardamoms and 40 green chilies. 20 will be fine of each. just feel and intuitively add the ingredients while making the recipe and you won’t go wrong. for this recipe you don’t need to double or triple exactly all the ingredients. it will create unbalanced flavor and taste. so add the spices and spice powders accordingly. only increase the amount of chickpea, water, onion and tomatoes.
First time hubby ne mere khaane ki tareef ki…all thnx to u
Welcome Deepika. Glad to know that both of you liked the dish.
Very good recipe
Maza aa gaya
Thanks Mamta
Madam j just went through comments of people,n you not only say thanks but help individually,this is out of world,please give hind name of masala like fennel,snuff ETC. One thing I m searching samosa I had eaten in child hood in Bengali sweet shop now closed,the feeling was of only patato cut in very small size but it were not boiled aloo,some black masala was ,very small size of SAMOSA, .well u r researcher ,IF U HAVE ANY VERSION PLEASE GUIDE.I HAD TO STAY AWAY FOR MONTHS SO STARTED TALKING INTEREST N TRY WHEN REACH WITH FAMILY…RAJIV
Thanks Rajiv. Fennel seeds is Saunf in Hindi. If I come across this version then I will try to add the recipe. I make it a point to reply to every comment so that it helps the readers.
I TRIED n your special masala had changed taste,very detailed given.Thanks Rajubhai
Hey! I have made the recipe exactly as written and it came out really great. My family loved the taste and am grateful to you for sharing this recipe 😀
Welcome Tara. Glad to know this. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi…
I want to make a big batch of the masala… help me out with qty… as each time roasting and grinding especially on weekdays becomes not possible….
Plssss help out
uttara, i am afraid increasing the ingredients proportionately can make the masala taste go awry. since i always add recipes which are tried and tested, i cannot give the proportions as a big batch of chana masala powder from this recipe has not been tried by me. when making any kind of masala, the spices have to be in the correct amount. even if one spice is in less or more quantity, it can ruin the flavor of the entire masala.
I’ve looked for hours as different recipes for Chana Masala and like the looks of yours the most. Your recipe is definitely the most transparent.
I usually don’t alter recipes without trying them first, but am going to go out on a limb and make the following changes:
-omit or reduce Fennel seed (it’s wayyyyy too strong for my palate)
-1/2 cup desi yogurt
-1/2 tsp hing
-dried fenugreek leaves
I will also be cooking my pre-soaked chickpeas in a rice cooker.
Anyways, I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for posting the recipe!
thanks a lot bryan. you can reduce fennel.the preference for fennel varies from person to person. i also know people who do not even like fennel seeds 🙂
1/2 cup yogurt will add some sourness to the curry. so i would suggest to use about 1/4th cup. hing and fenugreek leaves are fine to use.
Dasannaji d recipe workd wonderful!!..u hv become my cooking godmother!
thanks much prabha. glad to read your comment ❤️🙂
Hey dassana. Your recipe is as close as it can get to amritsari chole. I am from amritsar and my husband is from andhra. We live out of india and i always tell him when we visit amritsar i will take to all the awesome food joints there. I made your chana recipe and it tastes exactly like what we get in amritsar. My husband had a taste of amritsari chole without visiting the place. You made me miss my hometown even more. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe.
Welcome Geetanjali. Glad to know that the recipe helped you in recreating the taste of authentic amritsari chole.