Chana Masala


4.8 of 5 (8)
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 8
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 181.8
  • Total Fat: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
  • Sodium: 686.7 mg
  • Total Carbs: 29.7 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 6.0 g
  • Protein: 6.4 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Chana Masala calories by ingredient


Introduction

A delicious Indian recipe- subtly spicy, with tons of flavor, and vegetarian to boot. This recipe isn't quite quick, but it doesn't take forever, either, and it's a one-pot meal. If you're watching your sodium, choose canned tomatoes that don't have added salt. Adapted from Orangette's recipe here: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2006/02/publ
ic-display-of-chickpeas.html

A word of warning- don't skimp on the olive oil. I know it's tempting, but it's a healthy fat and it's absolutely necessary to prevent sticking and to get the correct flavor in the first steps of the recipe.
A delicious Indian recipe- subtly spicy, with tons of flavor, and vegetarian to boot. This recipe isn't quite quick, but it doesn't take forever, either, and it's a one-pot meal. If you're watching your sodium, choose canned tomatoes that don't have added salt. Adapted from Orangette's recipe here: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2006/02/publ
ic-display-of-chickpeas.html

A word of warning- don't skimp on the olive oil. I know it's tempting, but it's a healthy fat and it's absolutely necessary to prevent sticking and to get the correct flavor in the first steps of the recipe.

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

    2 Tbs olive oil
    1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
    2 medium cloves garlic, minced
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    ½ tsp ground coriander
    ¼ tsp ground ginger
    1 tsp garam masala
    1/4 tsp ground cardamom
    1/4 cup water
    1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
    1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
    2 Tbs cilantro leaves, roughly torn, plus more for garnish
    1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste- if you are unsure, add this last, as cayenne can vary widely in spiciness
    2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Directions

First, open the cans, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and chop your onions and garlic. Prep the cilantro and have your spices measured out and ready to be poured in.

Use the olive oil to coat the bottom of a large saucepan or Dutch oven, preferably NOT nonstick. Heat on medium heat, and add the onion. Cook until the onions are browned and beginning to char around the edges. Your patience will be rewarded!

Reduce heat to low and add the garlic and spices (all but the cayenne and the cilantro). Stirring constantly, toast the spices for about 30 seconds, then add the 1/4 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pan while it boils away. Once all the water is gone, add the liquid from the canned tomatoes, then the tomatoes themselves, crushing them in your hand as you add them. Add the salt.

Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add the cilantro and cayenne. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, then add the chickpeas. Simmer for five minutes, then add 2 Tbsp of water and simmer for another five. Add another 2 Tbsp of water, then simmer until the chana masala is thick rather than liquidy. Adding the additional water and extending the cooking time intensifies the flavor and helps the texture of the chickpeas.

Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each. Serve with brown rice, with naan bread, or a pita. A delicious garnish to add, along with shredded cilantro, is a dollop of plain yogurt.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LOUISATHELAST.

Member Ratings For This Recipe


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Delicious. I usually double the seasoning, use veggie or chicken stock instead of water and add some spinach. If you can, let it sit overnight and eat it the next day. It's even better as left overs! - 1/29/11


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    Incredible!
    With additional spice, this recipe is fantastic. - 2/23/20


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    Incredible!
    Great recipe! I upped the spices a bit as per other reviewers. Very authentic, knock out flavor. Thanks for sharing! - 9/29/15


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    Incredible!
    Great recipe. Thanks for sharing! - 4/24/12


  • no profile photo

    Very Good
    This was really good and easy to make. Next time I'm going to try to downplay the tomato flavor a bit and bring out the other spices more. - 7/18/11