Chana Masala is a spicy, yummy masala loaded gravy made by cooking chana in a onion & tomato based puree and spices. Chana Masala is a great accompaniment for chapatti, roti, poori and for rice meal. Chana Masala Recipe is explained in this post with step by step pictures.
Chana Masala is one dish I would love to try different recipes with variations. I loved this easy method of pressure cooking everything together which I learnt from my aunt recently.
This goes well poori , rotis or even any mild pulaos.
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📖 Recipe Card
Chana Masala | Chole Masala
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chana
- 1 small sized big onion chopped finely
- 1.5 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or chana masala powder
- coriander leaves just to garnish
- lemon juice from half a lemon
- 2.5 cups water in total
- salt to taste
To saute and grind :
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 3 medium sized tomatoes chopped roughly
- 1 medium sized big onion chopped roughly
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
To temper:
- 1.5 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 bay leaf
Instructions
- Soak chana overnight or at least for 8 hours.
- Pressure cook chana with enough water (say 1.5 cups) for 5 whistles or until soft, Set aside.
- In a pan heat oil – add onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and sauté till mushy and raw smell of tomatoes leaves.
- Allow it to cool, then add fennel seeds and pepper corns along with this in a mixer.
- Grind it to a fine paste. Set aside.
- In a pressure cooker heat oil – add the items under ‘to temper’ then add onions and fry till golden brown. Then add the tomato onion paste.
- Add the spice powders, mix well.
- Once the raw smell of masalas leave add chana along with the cooked water to this mixture and pressure cook for 1 whistle in medium flame. Add required salt.
- Once done, open and add more water if the gravy is too thick – I added remaining 1 cup water and allowed it to boil in sim for 5mins.
- Once oil separates and desired consistency is reached, Garnish with coriander leaves, lemon juice and switch off.
- Serve Chole Masala hot with bhatura / rotis!
Notes
- Adjust water according to the consistency you want the gravy to be.
- Pressure cook chana until soft as in the last stage we are going to cook for just 1 whistle. This way I find the masalas blend very well with chana.
- I don't usually add chana masala powder, always use homemade garam masala powder instead.
- Adding pepper is purely optional, if you don't like the flavor then just skip it.
Chana Masala Recipe Step by Step
- Soak chana overnight or atleast for 8 hours.Pressure cook chana with enough water(say 1.5 cups) for 5 whistles or until soft,Set aside.In a pan heat oil – add onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and saute till mushy and raw smell of tomatoes leaves. Allow it to cool, then add fennel seeds and pepper corns along with this in a mixer.
- Grind it to a fine paste.Set aside. In a pressure cooker heat oil – add the items under ‘to temper’ then add onions and fry till golden brown.Then add the tomato onion paste.
- Add the spice powders, mix well.Once the raw smell of masalas leave add chana along with the cooked water to this mixture and pressure cook for 1 whistle in medium flame.Add required salt.
- Once done, open and add more water if the gravy is too thick – I added remaining 1 cup water and allowed it to boil in sim for 5mins.Once oil seperates and desired consistency is reached, Garnish with coriander leaves,lemon juice and switch off.
Serve hot with bhatura / rotis!
Expert Tips
- Adjust water according to the consistency you want the gravy to be.
- Pressure cook chana until soft as in the last stage we are going to cook for just 1 whistle. This way I find the masalas blend very well with chana.
- I dont usually add chana masala powder, always use homemade garam masala powder instead.
- Adding pepper is purely optional, if you dont like the flavour then just skip it.
Chana Masala with coconut
Chana Masala is one sidedish I never get bored of…I vaguely remember ordering chana masala in restaurants as Amma makes the best channa/chole masala according to me.
We make both versions one without coconut which I have posted nd this version of chana masala with coconut. I prefer the non coconut version with rotis and this one with pooris…..sounds weird ?! but thats how I am used to eating 🙂 Chana Batura is a very popular combination but am yet to try my hands with batura am sure to post it here soon hopefully.
Mittu loves chana masala too and with the combo of poori she enjoys.Mittus school has closed and next yr she will be into LKG. I still remember the day she joined school for Prekg and here the one year flew by just like a minute.Now lets get on how to make chana masala recipe.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak chana overnight or atleast for 8 hrs. Pressure cook for 6-7 whistles or until soft.Keep aside. Grind coconut, fennel seeds along with little water to a fine paste.Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan – add the items under ‘to temper’ let it splutter then add ginger garlic paste, onion and fry till onions turn golden brown.Then add tomato puree along with spice powders and required salt.Fry till raw smell of tomatoes leave.
- Then add coconut paste fry for 3mins then dilute it with water say 3/4-1cup. Allow it to boil till raw smell leaves and the oil starts seperating.
- Then add boiled chana and allow it to simmer for 5-7mins. Once the gravy is thick garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.
Squeeze lemon juice and serve with pooris. Serve with lemon wedges and onions rings.
Tips
- Make sure to cook chana till soft else ti will not absorb the gravy well.
- The consistency is purely your choice – If you want more like a kuzhambu consistency then switch off accordingly.
- If you dont have chana masala powder then skip it and increase garam masala powder to 1 teaspoon.Even without chana masala powder this tastes great as I have made it many times without it.
Divya Kudua
Yum,I can have the channa masala by itself.Simple recipe,I am definitely trying this soon:)
Hamaree Rasoi
Delicious and mouthwatering chana masala.
Deepa
Ms.Chitchat
Yum yum yummy channa, love the rich color and the texture. Lovely clicks.
AparnaRajeshkumar
yummy one ! lovely combo too !
Wer SAHM
chole masala looks too yummy….
Nisa Homey
Gravy looks so creamy and thick….love your pics too.
suhaina aji
gravy looks so thick and yumm..love it,,
Saranya Balaji
Wow! looks so yumm that too without coconut…lovely texture…
Sheetal Bhatia
It looks do yummy, very tempting.. I am definitely going to try this once at home.. http://www.psocial.in/category/food-and-recipes
Rumana Ambrin
Very creamy looking curry…
Kadhyaa
simply irrestible. bookmarked
Sireesha Puppala
I too love this channa masala a lot no need to cut veggies yet can get a healthy dish for rotis..you have made it so beautiful sharmi..
JEYASHRI SURESH
One of my friend makes channa in this way. Smooth gravy perfectly suitable for kids. Nice clicks
snaveena madhan
I have tried this recipe,came very well and evryone liked it..followed the procedure as it is…Everyone should this….:) Irresistible taste..
Anusha Madhavan
Tried this recipe and it turned out very tasty.
Thanks for this yummy Channa Masala recipe !
Anusha
Anusha Madhavan
Tried this and loved it.
Thank you for this delicious Channa Masala recipe !!
ShravsCookBookBlog
mouth watering…:)
Sireesha Puppala
It's my favourite .lovely texture and ur recipe is very simple to understand too
Meera
I am going to try this out. I don't make the onion-tomato paste and also don't do the last step pressure-cooking. What I do is take some channa, grind it in the mixie and add it to the gravy. That way the gravy is thick.
Nandini
I tried your recipe and the family loved it! Thank you 🙂
-Nandini
Nandini
I tried your recipe and the family loved it! Thank you 🙂
-Nandini
Su
This came out awesome! I usually make less than average chole masala..but this time! Wow! I cannot wait to get great complements from my hubby!!
yamuna
HI sharmi,
u r simple awesome at ur work…… iam big fan of urs…. whenever i am in confusion what to cook … ur blog is SOS for me…. whatever i tried from ur recipe index did wonders for me…… thanx….. n keep postng n teaching me…..
regards yamuna
Poonam Khatri
Sharmi, the 6 garlic cloves that you add to temper just stay there? I don't want to eat a whole clove thinking it's chick pea!
SHARMILEE J
I used the garlic for sauteing and grinding along with onion and tomato so it will not stay as whole….Please check the method again 🙂
Thenmozhi Boopathy
superb recipe.,i did this., it came out very well.thank you.
Revathi Rangaswamy
hi.. I have cooked channa many time, but the idea of using fennel is a good idea and am sure will enhance the taste and aroma of the channa
Revathi Rangaswamy
hi.. I have cooked channa many time but the idea of adding fennel is very nice as im sure it would enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish itself
Sounak Biswas
Referring to the ingredients section….. do you mean 3 or 4 cups of chana or 3/4th cup of chana ? Also 3/4 of soaked chana or unsoaked chana because the size differs after soaking it.
SHARMILEE J
It is 3/4 cup..And please go through the first step…I have clearly mentioned to pressure cook…so is 3/4 cup uncooked chana
Sneha
Just tried the recipe… Loved it…
I had to make modifications as my chana to gravy propotion was not right as my maid had put in the chana for cooking and i dumped the whole chana from the cooker into my pan..
But none the less.. it turned out Good.. and i am sure that with the right proportions it would have been a winner..
Thank you soo much for the wonderful recipe.. 🙂
Geetha Priya
I tried this recipe today al my family member liked it 🙂 it came out very wel ::)
Thanks sharmiee 🙂
Vandana Rao
wow looks yummy
Gayathri Sivayoganathan
I tried out. The outcome was excellent. Im new to Indian cuisine. Its very much easy to follow the steps.
Arthi Saravanan
I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out so well…..I am basically very bad at cooking and could'nt believe it came out so fine…. I am going to try all your recipes going forward…. Thanks a lot Sharmi… this is going change my life
Jayapriya Sajeevan
After grinding the masala to paste should i use again the garlic cloves ,fennel seeds and pepper again while tempering will it not have a strong masala taste.
SHARMILEE J
For tempering its a very small quantity so it will not give a strong flavour….
ashoka devanampriya
Thanks for sharing this. This turned out wonderfully yummy!!
nagarathna keerthi
i love it thankq
Unknown
Tried this 2nd time. It was awesome. My daughter n husband both enjoyed. Thanks a ton!
priyaas
Sharmi u added gariic , fennel seeds and pepper in tempering instead of adding it in saute and grind . Change it .
SHARMILEE J
Thank you Priya, have changed it now
Rashida Shaikh
I too had cooked chana, yet to post…but your method is different…nice post
"அம்மு"
Hey sharmi, my hubby loved it 10/10 🙂 Thanks for sharing. I used marati moggu, star anise, black elakkai while seasoning, jeera powder and little kasoori methi for the final boil..
kamalaveni
Hey sharmi, colourful channa, give the onion and tomotto in grams
Jacqui Manini - Hills
Thanks!! this was really nice!
Jacqui Manini - Hills
Thanks so much! It was lovely
Petnas
Hi..may i know-2nd method add 'the temper items' and then add tomato onion paste.how many onions and tomatoes do u need for this actually?
SHARMILEE J
You can search for channa masala for other recipe variations……..
Radha Ravuri
Hi, I tried this today and it turned out very tasty dish..my in – laws liked it too.. The masala smell is mouthwatering. Thank you!!
Abhinayah Ramesh
Tried the dish twice, turned out good both attempts..yummy and healthy!thank u for the recepie
esby
Great chole recipe! This has become my favorite chole recipe now. Tried making it twice, using canned chickpeas and both times it came out good. Thanks for the recipe!
Abdul Muthalib
tried this once it is very tasty and very easy cook, thank you for the recepie.
shana roshin
Great recipe. Restaurant like channa masala. Tried twice.. Thanks!!
Poornima
Thank you
It turned out yum
prag
Made it today. Awesome. My daughter had an excellent breakfast
Unknown
I tried ur recipe…came out very well dear…
durga
Thanks Sharmi, dish came out very good. Today is the first day I packed lunch for hubby and tried this dish came out good in 1st attempt itself. This rocks!
Unknown
Hey thanks for the receipe, first time this dish has come out nice n yummy, did many times before, but no luck
Sonya Valadares
Hey thanks for the receipe, first time this dish has come out nice n yummy, did many times before, but no luck
Arjun Rishi
Nice post, I liked it and enjoyed reading it, Thanks for sharing this information.
cooks in chennai
sweta
i tried it. It tasted super yummy yummy…i followed exact recipe… everyone loved it… thank u
Ramesh Pan
Here Channa is boiled 2 times in Cooker.
I think it will over cook in cooker for 2 times???!!
Sharmilee J
No it will not, I have divided the whistles.Cooking chana along with gravy gives a great flavour and taste
R. Figueiredo
In your notes, you mentioned you use home made garam masala instead of chana masala.Could you please share the ingredients with the quantity?Thank you.
Sharmilee J
Please check garam masala recipe post
Durga
Can we add panner instead of channa in this recipe
Sharmilee J
yes you can, toast and add it after the gravy is almost done
Durga
How much panner needed for this measurement
Sharmilee J
1 cup cubed paneer
Priya
Sharmilee, tried this recipe today, came out really well and it was easy too. Thanks a lot! So far I never had success with channa masala but I made it and the whole family enjoyed it today. You are awesome!!!
yusa
looks yummy and tasty …your recipe is great and easy to make