Chana Masala Recipe Chana Masala

One of my favorite Indian curry dishes is homemade Chana Masala. It is a popular spiced chick pea dish that can be found at all Indian restaurants in many variations. Chickpeas are all the rave these days but this particular ingredient has been most commonly used in South Asian cooking as either a thickening or binding agent for years back. I personally think the perfect Chana Masala recipe relies on how the chick peas are cooked. In this recipe you will note the Chana (chickpeas) is cooked well. Overcooked to be precise. This helps ensure a thicker gravy. Chana Masala has a great tang, spice, and tummy filling comfort zone that is perfect for those meatless days. I like to pair it with PURI, rice, or homemade paratha, but you can try it with a healthy tortilla, brown rice, or quinoa. If you are looking for the perfect white rice recipe, then check out my post here.

What kind of chick peas to use

TIP: The Instant Pot is a great gadget to quickly make whole dried chickpeas using the “bean and stew” button, but if you are crunching on time then use a can or frozen; just be sure to rinse them well to drain all excess sodium :). Either case, I highly recommend you boil/steam the chick peas before putting them into the spice mixture (see recipe below) and then mashing it in the pot. I also like to add spinach to mine sometimes just to add some healthy greens, but you can skip it.