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Stovetop: Scratch Chana Masala, Curried Chickpeas

February 27, 2025

Stovetop: Scratch Chana Masala, Curried Chickpeas
Chana Masala
CHANA MASALA IS AN ICONIC INDIAN DISH FOR GOOD REASON.
It's deliciously addictive and a great protein option for vegetarians and vegans alike. But, protein is not its only benefit - after all, there are other higher protein sources. One cup of chopped chicken, for example, logs 38 grams of protein, while one cup of chickpeas has about 14.5 grams. But, what chickpeas offer that meat does not is fiber.

 

Raw vs dried chickpeas

Raw chickpeas on the left vs dried and cooked chickpeas on the right

Fiber helps your body process and get rid of waste, ensuring better digestion. Meat has no fiber while one cup of cooked chickpeas has 12.5 grams — more than half the daily recommended amount. We could all benefit from more fiber in our diets. National surveys show only 5 percent of Americans meet the daily recommended amount, which according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is 22-34 grams, depending on age and sex.

On average, Americans consume around 15 grams of fiber per day. But, imagine if you added chickpeas to your day — you would be well on your way to meeting the daily recommended levels of fiber. Simply add them to your salad or soup, eat a bowl of hummus, or a cup of this Chana Masala. 

And, better yet, if you make this dish with the healthy ingredients listed like onion-ginger-garlic and Indian spices, you have a powerhouse of a meal that will not only satisfy your tastebuds but keep you full longer AND give you a slight protein boost.

Follow my steps for an easy homemade and delicious restaurant-style Chana Masala without the extra oil and additives. Keep in mind my recipes always give you full Punjabi flavor. To pull back on the heat, reduce the amount of chiles and red chile powder. To mellow the overall flavor, reduce the Chana Masala spice by a teaspoon and the Garam Masala by a half teaspoon. 

The addictiveness of this dish is from my own Chana Masala spice blend, roasted first and ground in small batches in America so it is as fresh as possible. I will say, I made this for my husband and he was blown away by how it exceeded the taste profile of our local Indian restaurant. 

The best method to cook chickpeas on the stovetop

Soak 1 cup dried white chickpeas overnight or at least 2 hours in boiling water. Drain and discard the soaking water. Add the chickpeas to a roomy pot with 10 cups of water. Simmer partially covered for 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes). Turn the heat off, completely cover the pot, and let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water to thicken curries and other dishes. This yields 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas and 6 cups of chickpea cooking water (aquafaba), which is enough to make 1 batch of chana masala and a little more.

chickpea cooking tip

Stovetop: Scratch Chana Masala, Curried Chickpeas

Yields: 4 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes + chickpea soaking & cooking time
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried white chickpeas, washed, soaked overnight, and drained
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 pinch hing 
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 small yellow or red onion, minced
  • 1-inch piece ginger, pureed
  • 3 cloves garlic, pureed
  • 1-4 Thai chiles or 1 Serrano, stems removed and thinly sliced 
  • 1 medium tomato, pureed (no peel)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon chana masala
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups aquafaba and/or water 

Instructions

  1. In a roomy pot, cook the chickpeas in 5-10 cups of water for 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water to use later. The more water you use, the more chickpea water or aquafaba you will end up with for the curry. This is about 2 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas - you can also use canned. 
  2. In a heavy medium-sized pan (a 4-quart works best), heat the oil or ghee until warm. Add the hing, cumin, and turmeric. Stir and cook for about 40 seconds until the seeds sizzle. 
  3. Add the onion. Stir and cook for about 1 ½ minutes until slightly brown. 
  4. Add the ginger, garlic, and chiles. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. 
  5. Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. The pureed tomato will help deglaze the pan. 
  6. Add the chana masala, garam masala, coriander, red chile, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  7. Add the chickpeas and aquafaba/water. Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes until all the ingredients pull together and the curry thickens a bit. Garnish with chopped cilantro if you would like and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan. 

Watch me make it on YouTube! And while you're there, consider subscribing! 

Check out other ways to cook Chana Masala: 

[[ recipeID=recipe-2m7m8cia9, title=Stovetop: Scratch Chana Masala ]]




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Stovetop: Scratch Chana Masala, Curried Chickpeas

CHANA MASALA IS AN ICONIC INDIAN DISH IN OUR WEEKLY ROTATION — FOR GOOD REASON. It's deliciously addictive and a great protein option for vegetarians and vegans alike. Protein is not the only benefit, there are so many other higher protein sources. One cup of chopped chicken, for example, logs 38 grams of protein, while 1 cup of chickpeas has about 14.5 grams. But, what chickpeas offer that meat does not is fiber.

Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie.

Servings: 4

Keywords: Curry, Chickpeas, Chana Masala, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried white chickpeas,washed, soaked overnight, and drained
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 pinch hing
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 small yellow or red onion, minced
  • 1-inch piece ginger, pureed
  • 3 cloves garlic, pureed
  • 1-4 Thai chiles or 1 Serrano, stems removed and thinly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato, pureed (no peel)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon chana masala
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups aquafaba and/or water

Instructions

  1. In a roomy pot, cook the chickpeas in 5-10 cups of water for 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water to use later. The more water you use, the more chickpea water or aquafaba you will end up with for the curry. This is about 2 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas - you can also use canned. 
  2. In a heavy medium-sized pan (a 4-quart works best), heat the oil or ghee until warm. Add the hing, cumin, and turmeric. Stir and cook for about 40 seconds until the seeds sizzle.
  3. Add the onion. Stir and cook for about 1 ½ minutes until slightly brown. 
  4. Add the ginger, garlic, and chiles. Stir and cook about 1 minute.
  5. Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. The pureed tomato will help deglaze the pan.
  6. Add the chana masala, garam masala, coriander, red chile, and salt. Stir and cook another minute.
  7. Add the chickpeas and aquafaba/water. Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes until all the ingredients pull together and the curry thickens a bit. Garnish with chopped cilantro if you would like and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan. 

Notes

Chickpea Cooking Tip:

1 cup of dried chickpeas, when cooked, yield 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups. 1 can yields about 1 ¾ cups of chickpeas. I prefer to cook my chickpeas in ample water (1 cup of chickpeas in 10 cups of water) so that I have extra chickpea water, or aquafaba, that will eventually help thicken up my curry.