Indian
Chana Masala
Chickpeas simmer in a spiced tomato sauce with onion, ginger, and garlic until the gravy thickens. Lemon and cilantro go in at the end, and the curry is served over rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- A browned onion, not a pale one, gives the gravy its sweet base.
- Mashing a few chickpeas thickens the sauce without flour.
- Coriander, cumin, and garam masala are toasted in oil so they do not taste dusty.
- Lemon juice at the end keeps the tomatoes from tasting flat.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until deep golden, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
- 3
Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir 30 seconds.
- 4
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and simmer 6 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- 5
Add the chickpeas and kosher salt. Mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot. Simmer 8 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.
- 7
Serve over the cooked rice.
Pro tips
- If the onion is not browned, the curry will taste sharper and thinner. Give it the full time.
- Add a splash of water only if the sauce sticks. It should be thick enough to sit on the rice.
- Leftovers thicken overnight. That is normal for this gravy.
Easy substitutions
- Crushed tomatoes
- 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Cayenne pepper
- 1 fresh chili, minced with the garlic
- Rice
- Warm flatbread
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the curry up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in a covered saucepan over medium heat until hot, loosening with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 428
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 13 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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