Chana Masala

Name: Chana Masala
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee, ghee makes the dish not vegan or dairy-free; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 onions, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, grated; 30 g (2 in piece) fresh ginger, grated; 1 green chili, finely chopped; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or ½ tsp cayenne; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes, 400 g; 2 cans (2 × 15 oz) chickpeas, 2 × 400 g, drained (about 480 g); 300 ml (1¼ cups) water; 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp garam masala, or the blend in Four Spice Blends; 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder), or 1 tbsp lemon juice; 15 g (½ cup) cilantro leaves, chopped

Chickpeas in a tangy, deeply spiced onion-tomato gravy

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Level: Easy

Chana masala is one of the great dishes of North India: chickpeas simmered in a dark, sour-spicy masala of browned onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Cooking the onions all the way to deep brown and adding a little amchur (dried mango) or lemon at the end gives it its characteristic tang.

Ingredients

3 tbspneutral oil or gheeghee makes the dish not vegan or dairy-free
1 tspcumin seeds
2onionsfinely chopped
4 clovesgarlicgrated
30 gfresh ginger (2 in piece)grated
1green chilifinely chopped
2 tspground coriander
1 tspground cumin
1 tspKashmiri chili powderor ½ tsp cayenne
½ tspground turmeric
1 canchopped tomatoes (14 oz)400 g
2 canschickpeas (2 × 15 oz)2 × 400 g, drained (about 480 g)
300 mlwater (1¼ cups)
7 gfine sea salt (1¼ tsp)plus more to taste
1 tspgaram masalaor the blend in Four Spice Blends
1 tspamchur (dried mango powder)or 1 tbsp lemon juice
15 gcilantro leaves (½ cup)chopped

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: None of the EU 14
Origin: India (Punjab)

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry until they darken a shade, 30 seconds.
Add the onions with a pinch of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until deep golden-brown, 15–18 minutes. Add a splash of water if they catch. 16 min
Add the garlic, ginger and chili and cook 1 minute. Add the ground coriander, cumin, chili and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds. 2 min
Add the tomatoes and the rest of the salt. Cook, stirring and mashing, until the masala is thick and the oil separates at the edges, 8–10 minutes. 9 min
Add the chickpeas and water. Simmer 15 minutes, mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy. 15 min
Stir in the garam masala and amchur, simmer 1 minute, and taste for salt and sourness. Finish with cilantro. Serve with rice, Skillet Yogurt Flatbreads or Pita Bread.

Why it works

Browning onions slowly converts their sugars into dozens of new flavor compounds, giving the gravy its color and savory-sweet depth. Frying the tomato masala until the oil separates tells you the water has evaporated and the spices have properly cooked into the base. A sour finish from amchur or lemon lifts the earthy chickpeas.

Common mistakes

Pale onions: it is the brown that makes the gravy taste rich and look dark.
Adding garam masala too early: its aroma fades. Add it at the end.

Variations

From dried chickpeas: Soak 200 g dried chickpeas overnight, then simmer with a black tea bag until very tender, 60–90 minutes, for a darker, Punjabi-style color.
With spinach: Stir in 200 g spinach with the chickpeas.