Chana Masala Recipe

Chana masala over basmati rice is simple. Chickpea-based, spicy Indian dish is vegan and gluten-free. It has great leftovers! The recipe moves quickly, so prep ingredients ahead.

– 1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice, for serving (rice is optional, I like to cook extra to have on hand for other meals) – 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil – 1 medium yellow onion, chopped – 1 medium serrano or jalapeño pepper*, minced (remove ribs and seeds to tame the spice level) – ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste – 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced (about 1 tablespoon) – 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece) – 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala** – 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander – ¾ teaspoon ground cumin – ½ teaspoon ground turmeric – Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional!*) – 1 large can (28 ounces) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice – 2 cans (14 ounces each) chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas), rinsed and drained – Lemon wedges, for garnish – Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Ingredient

Direction

Cook rice if serving chana masala on rice: In a large pot, boil water and rinse rice in a fine-mesh colander. Pour rice into boiling water and stir. 

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Stop boiling and drain the rice after 30 minutes. Replace the rice and cover the pot. Steam rice for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fork-fluff the rice, and add sea salt to taste.

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Cook the chana masala: Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, serrano, and salt. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until tender and translucent.

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Sauté garlic and ginger for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, and cayenne (if using) and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

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Add tomato juices. The back of a wooden spoon can break up whole tomatoes, leaving some chunks for texture. Stir in chickpeas on medium-high heat. Simmer the mixture. 

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If you need to, lower the heat to keep the mixture at a gentle simmer for at least 10 minutes to let the flavours develop. If you want, you can add more salt to taste. 

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You can add more cayenne if you think it's not spicy enough. If you want, you can serve it over basmati rice and top it with a few lemon wedges and fresh cilantro leaves. 

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