Chana Palak Recipe | Palak Chole - Dassana's Veg Recipes

5 from 13 votes

Chana Palak Recipe | Palak Chole

Chana Palak or Palak Chole is a North Indian curry made with spinach (palak), white chickpeas (chana), onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices. This hearty curry has a flavorful spinach-based gravy and pairs well with steamed rice, roti, paratha or naan. You can use chopped spinach for a rustic texture or blanch and puree it for a smoother gravy. It makes a wholesome and satisfying meal for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time8

Cook Time45

Total Time8 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For Cooking Chickpeas

1 cup/200 grams dried white chickpeas
3 cups water
¼ teaspoon salt or add as required

For Masala Paste

1 large or ¾ to 1 cup onion - roughly chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon or 1 to 2 green chilies - chopped
3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic cloves - chopped
1 inch ginger - chopped, optional

More Ingredients

3 to 4 tablespoons oil - any neutral oil
1 large tomato - pureed or ⅓ to ½ cup tomato puree
4½ to 5 cups spinach - chopped (palak)
1½ to 2 cups water - for the gravy
½ to ¾ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) - crushed, optional
salt as required

Whole Spices

1 inch cinnamon
3 cloves
2 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)

Ground Spices

½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
¾ teaspoon garam masala or chana masala powder or Punjabi garam masala

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

Rinse the chickpeas in fresh water for a few times. Then soak them in enough water in a bowl overnight or for 7 to 8 hours. Cover the bowl with a lid.
Drain all the water and rinse the chickpeas again in fresh water a few times. Then again drain the water.
Add chickpeas with 3 to 4 cups of water in a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt or as required.
Pressure cook the chickpeas on medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or till they are cooked completely.
You can also cook the chickpeas in a pot or pan on the stovetop or in the instant pot adding water as required.
Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker. Then only open the lid and check the chickpeas.
They should be tender and softened. If the chickpeas are undercooked then pressure cook for some more minutes.
Drain the cooked chickpeas and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the onion paste with chopped onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Also prepare the tomato puree. Keep aside.
Rinse spinach leaves very well in water. Drain all the water. Then chop them.

Making Onion Tomato Masala

In a pan heat oil. Fry all the "Whole Spices" mentioned in the above list in the ingredient section, till fragrant on low to medium-low heat.
Add the onion paste. Sauté until light golden stirring often on low to medium-low heat. Take care as the oil can splutter when adding the onion paste.
Add the tomato puree. Also add all the spice powders mentioned in the above list of "Ground Spices" in the ingredient section.
Saute stirring often until oil leaves the sides of the masala. The color of masala will change and the masala will also look glossy,
Now add the chopped spinach and salt as required. Stir and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium-low heat.

Making Chana Palak

Add the cooked chickpeas and mix well. Pour 1½ to 2 cups water.
Add crushed pomegranate seeds powder or dry mango powder.
Also mash a few chickpeas with the back of the spoon. This helps to thicken the gravy. Simmer on medium-low to medium heat until the gravy thickens and becomes smooth.
Lastly add crushed kasuri methi and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve chana palak hot with roti, naan or steamed rice or jeera rice and onion-lemon salad.
Refrigerate any leftovers for one to two days. Keep in a covered container and refrigerate.

Notes

Use only the spinach leaves. If the stems are tender, you can include them. Rinse the spinach thoroughly before using.
If you prefer a smoother gravy, blanch the spinach, puree it and then add it to the masala. If using frozen spinach, thaw it completely and squeeze out the excess water.
White chickpeas work best in this recipe, but black or brown chickpeas can also be used. Canned chickpeas are a convenient alternative and save cooking time.
Keep in mind that aged dried chickpeas take longer to cook.
Use all the whole spices listed in the recipe for the best flavor. If you need to omit any, skip the black cardamom or bay leaf (tej patta).
Sauté the onion-tomato masala until the oil begins to separate from the sides of the pan. This develops a deeper flavor in the curry.
Adjust the red chili powder and green chilies according to your taste.
For a tangier curry, add dried mango powder (amchur) or dried pomegranate seed powder (anardana). If you don't have either, stir in ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice after the curry is cooked.
Add less water for a thicker gravy or more water for a medium consistency.

Nutrition