Quick Chana Masala
Easy and quick chana masala recipe served over basmati rice. This spicy, hearty Indian dish is vegan and gluten free. It makes great leftovers, too!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
Chana masala is one of my favorite menu items at Indian restaurants. It’s a hearty, saucy chickpea and tomato dish with warming spices. I bet you have the ingredients to make this easy homemade version in your pantry already!
I shared this recipe back in 2014, and wanted to revisit it as we’re all spending more time at home. I thoroughly enjoyed the fragrant 20 minutes I spent over the stove for this recipe.
To make this chana masala, you’ll need onion, ginger, garlic, and several good-for-you spices, including coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Garam masala is the traditional spice blend for chana masala, but if you don’t have that on hand, you’ll find alternatives below.
I’d like to start cooking Indian recipes more often. Which one would you like to see next? For more pantry-friendly recipes, check my healthy pantry recipes roundup.
Authentic Chana Masala vs. This Quick & Easy Method
I was happy when I found a recipe for quick and easy chana masala in the pages of Angela Liddon’s cookbook, The Oh She Glows Cookbook (affiliate link). I’ve modified Angela’s ingredients and cooking method a bit. Let me be the first to point out that this recipe is somewhat unconventional!
Authentic chana masala is typically made with whole spices, plus some dried mango powder (amchur). This recipe makes use of ground spices, which we’ll cook in some oil to bring out their best. Instead of dried mango powder, we’ll garnish the dish with a wedge of lemon for tart flavor.
Watch How to Make Chana Masala
Canned Tomato Options
I love using crushed fire-roasted tomatoes in this recipe, which offer a shortcut to rich, long-simmered flavor. If you don’t have them, don’t worry.
You can also use canned whole tomatoes (with their juices), and crush them against the side of the pot with a sturdy spoon as they simmer. Or substitute diced tomatoes, which will produce a more chunky result (you could blitz them a few times in a food processor or blender beforehand, to achieve crushed tomatoes).
Spice Options
Garam masala is traditionally used in chana masalas. Garam masala roughly translates to “hot spice mix” in English. It’s made from a blend of coriander, cumin, cardamom (green and black), cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and other spices that vary by region and preference. No two masalas are exactly alike.
If you don’t have garam masala and don’t want to make another trip to the store, here are a few unconventional options. I know for certain that tikka masala is nice (tikka masala has brighter notes of chili powder and paprika).
Or, you could use a teaspoon of yellow curry powder—it won’t taste the same, but it will be good! If you don’t have either of those, you could likely just omit the spice blend, and add a pinch of ground clove and cardamom to the pot if you have them.
Craving more Indian recipes?
I’m working on my expanding my collection of Indian recipes, but here are a few favorite recipes inspired by Indian cuisine.
- Creamy Golden Milk (Hot or Iced)
- Quick Dal Makhani
- Masala Lentil Salad with Cumin Roasted Carrots
- Turmeric-Spiced Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Cauliflower: See the Indian-inspired version.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out in the comments.
Quick Chana Masala
Quick and easy chana masala recipe served over basmati rice. This spicy, hearty, chickpea-based Indian dish is vegan and gluten free. It makes great leftovers, too! Be sure to prep the ingredients in advance, as the recipe moves quickly. Recipe yields 4 bowls.
Ingredients
- 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 juices
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the rice (if you want to serve the chana masala on rice): Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove and rinse the rice in a fine-mesh colander. Once boiling, pour in the rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice. Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and season with sea salt to taste.
- Cook the chana masala: In a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, serrano and salt. Cook until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and cayenne (if using), and cook for another minute, while stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices. If using whole tomatoes, use the back of a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes apart (you can leave some chunks of tomato for texture).
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chickpeas. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 10 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop. Season to taste with additional salt, if desired. If it’s not spicy enough for your liking, add another pinch of cayenne.
- Serve over basmati rice, if desired, and garnish with a lemon wedge or two and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.
Notes
Recipe adapted with permission from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.
*Tame the heat: While chana masala is inherently full of spice, the serrano (or jalapeño) and cayenne pepper are what bring the heat. If you’re sensitive, reduce or omit them both. You can always stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper at the end of cooking if you want more.
**Spice blend note: Garam masala is traditional. If you don’t have it and want to get by without making another trip to the store, you could use tikka masala instead, or perhaps even 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder. Don’t have any of those? I suspect this dish would be nicely flavorful with an added pinch of clove and cardamom, or even nothing at all.
Storage suggestions: This recipe makes for great leftovers! Store the rice, chana masala and garnishes separately for best results. Warm the rice and chana masala together, then garnish with fresh lemon wedges and cilantro. Leftovers should keep well for up to 5 days. I believe you could also successfully freeze the chana masala and rice components for later.
Change it up: Though untraditional, I think this would taste great with a generous splash of coconut milk for some creaminess (it would also mellow the spices somewhat).
Update 3/18/20: The recipe originally called for cumin seeds (1 ½ teaspoons) instead of ground cumin. I made the switch because ground cumin is easier to find. The recipe called for cooking the cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onion, etc. (Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently, until the seeds are golden and fragrant. Watch carefully to avoid burning the seeds.)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
absolutely a winner – great for a week night meal – very tasty Kare
Thank you, Karen!
Hey! I made this and love it. Just on route question. I thought it was slightly too tomato-saucy. Any suggestions on what to chance ramp up on to down the tomato taste??
Hmmm that is interesting! You could try adding a little more of your favorite spice or flavor of the soup. Hope this helps!
I would use half a can of tomatoes. That way you still get the tangy taste and it won’t strangle the spices. Normally when I cook it, I use 1-2 ripe Roma tomatoes with 2 cans of channa. :)
Delicious and easy! I made it into a Chana/Gobi Masala by adding cauliflower. I wanted more veggies but wanted a one-bowl meal too.
Thanks for sharing!
Do you worry about phytic acid in canned beans?
Hi Joan, I don’t! I have read that cooking gets rid of phytic acid, and canned beans are cooked beans so that shouldn’t be a problem.
I just made this for my vegan Sweetie and I and we both loved it. Added some veggie broth as it cooked to keep it from drying out as it simmered and we added a few scoops of Chana Masala powder.
Thank you for sharing your approach, Jorie. I appreciate the review!
Hello, love the recipe but please change the Basmatirice boiling to 20 mins. I boiled for 30 mins and it is just mush!
I’m sorry the timing didn’t work out! I didn’t have that experience when I tested this several times. But, thanks for sharing your experience!
Mine turned to mush too but I’m guessing it’s because I used white basmati and not brown.
Sounds like something cookie would say? * wink wink * Pls take with a pinch of salt n masala…!
:)
It tasted really good!Thank you for the wonderful recipe
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Naz. Thanks for your review!
Delicious….made it on Saturday. Making it again tonight….(Monday!)
You do really like it! That’s great. Thanks for the review, Lennon.
Loving all the spices! I bet this makes your home smell amazing!!
It does! Let me know if you try it, Bee.
Excellent, could eat this everyday and never tired of it.
Wonderful, Paige!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My gf loves Indian food and i just forwarded her the link to try it on her own.
Thank you, Ashna!
Too tomatoey, and the spice overtook the other flavours. Timing was off. Not ideal if used to traditional Chana masala.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Lynn. Thank you for your feedback!
I made this recipe this week. Loved it. It was easy to make. Loved all the flavours. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I have made this several times (and it makes a lot for one person, so I always freeze some and it freezes beautifully). I usually cook it a bit longer in order to cook some of the water off so that it’s thicker. So great for the cooler weather!
You’ve done it again! This is the third recipe of yours I’ve tried and it was a hit at home. I used tikka masala instead of garam masala (just because I’ve been using garam masala a lot lately and wanted to try different flavors) added cayenne, and left my pepper seeded for the heck of it. It was SO easy and absolutely delicious.
Thank you, Stephanie!
Perfect! Quick and yet layers of flavor.
Keeper! I did not serve it over rice so I did not want it super saucy. I do agree with those that warned the full 28oz of tomatoes would makes this a little too tomatoey. I reduced tomatoes by half. To get the consistency I like I added a little of the water I saved from making the chickpeas (I did not use canned) The spice levels were perfect as written! Thanks for another winner
Very tasty! I added a lot of extra salt and a little less cayenne powder. I used diced tomatoes because that’s what I had and I didn’t put any Serrano peppers in. I added about 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream since I did not have coconut milk. Served with cauliflower rice. It came out really good.
Thank you for sharing, Angela! I appreciate your review.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Kate! I made this for lunch today. Since I am from India I had some additional spices that make this taste truly restaurant style. Dried fenugreek leaves and dried pomegranate seeds powder case in point. I am mentioning since you said you love Chana Masala as much as I do! Keep these coming please. Your daily recipes are therapeutic in these crazy times :)
You’re welcome! I’m glad this one meets your expectations. :)
Pallavi, where do you add the dried fenugreek leaves? I have some and would love to make it a more authentic dish!
Hi Sera,
I make a concoction of all the dry spices in a bowl first and add it after I add the chickpeas to sautéed tomatoes, onions and ginger garlic paste. Then let the spices cook for a few minutes until they are fragrant. Hope that this helps..
I’m sure I’ve already posted a comment about this recipe…but it is my absolute favorite! Easy, economical and delicious — who could ask for more? :)
Thank you, Alexa! Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m really happy you re-posted this! It’s been taunting me in pinterest forever, and I have all the ingredients on hand (and pretty much always do). I’m going to be adding it to the dinner rotation this week – with all that’s going on, I’m forced to work from home, and I love getting in the kitchen after holing up in my office all day to cook!
Thank you, Hayley! Let me know what you think.
Very nice recipe, I riffed a bit because I wanted more veggies in a tomato-y sauce, so I threw in kale and peas, the tomato taste was pretty strong but I used a bit more garam masala and it balanced out nicely. Definitely bookmarking this.
This is an awesome recipe! Perfect for a weeknight meal. I would suggest attempting a paneer makhani next, which is a traditional Indian cottage cheese delicacy with lots of creamy goodness! I use Maunika Gowardhan’s butter chicken recipe and replace the meat with cottage cheese, it’s delicious!!
The guys worked out in the cold all day today getting ready for spring planting; this warm-sounding Indian dish seemed like the perfect dish for dinner. We have just finished eating and I want to say this WAS a PERFECT, delightfully flavored, one-dish meal!! I substituted diced, roasted chicken for the chickpeas and found the flavors DELIGHTFUL!! Thank you for yet another of your recipes for our “favorites” file!!
I’m glad you love it, Rachna! Thank you for your review and comment.
This recipe looks luscious, and I look forward to trying it. Could you please give the nutritional info for the chana masala separately from the rice? I’d like to know whether skipping the rice will bring the total carbohydrate count out of the stratosphere.
Hi Ana, I don’t have that information for you. Here is more on my nutritional information:https://sooka.info/nutrition-disclaimer/%3C/a%3E. You can always use an online tool to input your specific measurements to be more exact. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Thank you! Wanted to find a chana masala recipe today and this was in my mailbox! Yay! Will make this tonight.
I hope you love it, Nancy!
I’ve made is several times now – delicious!
sounds like the perfect comfort food. Since I do have amchur (mango powder), how much would you suggest in the recipe? Luckily I have all the ingredients at hand.
Hi Carol, I didn’t use it so I’m not quite sure how much would work for it, without being too much or too little. But, you could try to omit the lemon at the end if you like and add by taste? I’m glad you have all the ingredients on hand!
Today I made the chana masala and my husband and I loved it. So creamy and delicious. Truly a comfort food. Served over brown rice. Thank you.
Has this recipe changed a little recently? I made this recipe about 2 months ago. I kept the link. I swear it called for cumin seeds in the beginning. I recall it saying to watch out for burning of the seeds. Am I going crazy? Lol
Hey Elizabeth, yes it changed! You have a good memory. :) The original recipe called for cooking 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onions, etc. I switched to cumin powder, since most people don’t keep the seeds on hand. I’ll add it to the recipe notes in case you’d like to make the original version.
I love this recipe and thank you for posting something to make use of pantry items and spices! I have been working through quite a bit of your recipes while we’re isolating and it’s been fun to try new things. Thanks again and stay well!
Love this recipe, have made it multiple times!
Am I going crazy though, but did this recipe originally call for cumin seeds?
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Glad to hear it, Teija! You’re not going crazy. :) The original recipe called for cooking 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onions, etc. I switched to cumin powder, since most people don’t keep the seeds on hand. I’ll add it to the recipe notes in case you’d like to make the original version.
Delicious! Very easy to make! First time I made it I followed the recipe (leaving out the peppers). Liked it so much made it again a few days later. Thank you for all the great recipes!
I’m so obsessed with this recipe, I probably make it once a week! Even my meat-eating family loves this meal. I concur with the ground cumin edit — it still gets the cumin flavor, but without the hassle of finding whole cumin seeds. I like to also top this dish with pine nuts for an extra nutty note! Thanks for the great recipe, Kate!!
Just made this and it’s wonderful! I used my instant pot: saute feature for the vegetables and spices, then added rest of ingredients and pressured it for 5 mins., using the quick release option. I didn’t have 2 cans of chickpeas, so used lentils I already had cooked. This is a five star recipe in my book and I will definitely be making it again!
I posted earlier about this recipe and said I didn’t have 2 cans of chickpeas so I used lentils. To clarify, I used 1 can of chickpeas and about 2 cups of cooked lentils. And loved every bite!
Made this for me and my hubby with your newly posted cornbread :) and they were so yummy! Definitely going into my rotation!
I like you made both! Thank you for sharing, Lorraine. :)
This is one of my go tos I’ve made it so many times I’ve lost count. Sad that you updated the recipe to omit the cumin seeds because they are lovely so I’ll be sticking to that version myself. YUM, thanks Kate :)
Just made Garam Chana Masala. Super. Used some frozen tomatoes which peel easily once defrosted.Left a mess in the kitchen but worth it. Not a bit left! Only one criticism. Most Brits do not know what Cilantro is unless they watch US TV programs. To them it is fresh green Coriander leaves as opposed to ground Coriander which is produced from the seeds.
I have a pot of chickpeas I just made in ins-ta pot. I was wondering if a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes can be substituted for regular diced tomatoes?
no cilantro only parsley?
thank you and can’t wait to make it.
Sure! That is a good substitute. Your flavor might vary, but it will work well. Parsley typically serves as a good substitute for cilantro as well. Check out this post, it might help with other questions in the future! https://sooka.info/food-storage-tips/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
So delicious, I can’t believe I made it!( Your recipe)
Thanks for the quick reply to my questions about using fire roasted tomatoes and parsley. I did put a dab of plain yogurt which was also a nice addition!
Can’t wait to try Chickpea Tikka Masala with green rice from your cook book!!
Wonderful! I’m excited you liked it.
Just made this…and it is delicious. I did not add the cayenne pepper for fear that it might be too hot (spicy), and added cauliflower (as a commenter had suggested)at the end. I think the cayenne pepper would be perfect…and the cauliflower was a great additions. I think fresh green beans might also be a possibility. Going to share this with many and will make it gain..for sure. It is a keeper.
This was a hit! I love reading the reviews and implementing changes that others have found helpful. As such, I started out using half the recommended amount of crushed tomatoes, but I ended up using the entire 28oz, and I think that was just right, after all. I was lucky enough to have gone to India a couple years ago, and I added some of the spices I purchased there, too. I added fenugreek, a curry mix made especially for chick peas (which consisted of all the spices mentioned in the recipe, plus some), garlic powder, red cayenne pepper, and a mix of two different garam masalas. I probably ended up with having added more spices than the recipe called for, but I like bold flavors, so it was great. I omitted the pepper, because I used cayenne pepper. I simply served it with whole wheat baguette, and I plan to freeze some, as well. What a super healthy, inflammation-fighting dish!
I’m glad you found comments helpful, Jenni!
This was thoroughly good! I had to omit some of the spices as coriander and turmeric are hard to come by in my country, but it was delicious all the same.
Also, instead of rice, I used quinoa cooked with curry powder. I’ll certainly make this again!
I think this is a terrific recipe! For me, though, I like a little variation in my ‘stew’ contents, so I reduced the chickpeas by half and added in a good amount of cauliflower, and because the hard ingredients were increased I increased the sauce element a little too.
Other adjustments I made were to use a poblano pepper instead of a jalapeno to add flavor and reduce spice (we are a little sensitive at my house), and we added a dollop of Greek yogurt at the table for tang and creaminess, which is not a normal move, I am sure, but was a nice balance.
My kids liked dipping their steamed sweet potatoes, cauliflower and panfried chicken in the sauce – they are aged 4 and 7 – so without the heat the kiddos might like it at your house too.
I will definitely be making this again (a sentiment I have with all C+K recipes I have tried).
Thank you for sharing how you made this fit your taste! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I love Indian food & this was fantastic — so much better & easier than the other Chana Masala recipes I’ve tried! If you are still wondering what other Indian dishes we’d like to see, my request is Palak Paneer (perhaps with a frozen spinach option to make it more ‘pantry’ friendly during this time).
Thanks for sharing, Margo! I will add it to my list of requests.
I made this for dinner the other night and it was yummy. The next day I used leftovers for lunch: toast, with Kate’s Best Hummus (a staple in my fridge) topped off with the Chana Masala. I think I will make this again just to make hummus, chana masala toast!
Delicious! You are right about the whole spices, just adding one or two black cardamom in the beginning takes this recipe to a different level :)
Kate, I made this recipe a couple of times and find there is just not enough depth of flavor. I know you are trying to keep it simple with readily available spices but what makes Indian cuisine so much fun and interesting is the layers of flavors. I searched for and made a couple of traditional recipes and found the addition of amchoor powder (dried mango powder) along with kasoori methi or chana masala spice mix and chat masal can really take this dish to the heavens. PS using coconut oil tastes so much nicer than olive oil (even though I LOVE olive oil). Be well Kate.
I had to adjust some of the ratios and spices here based on what I had on hand (thanks, stay-at-home order), but it still came out delicious! I added in some cauliflower and carrots so I let it cook a bit longer to try to soften those up. I’m planning on freezing a portion or two of this for days when I don’t feel like cooking. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Amy! I’m happy to hear you were able to get creative. That is what I love about the kitchen!
Gorgeous flavour- just the right amount of spice! Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Catherine!
Loved this recipe! Quick, easy, delicious… perfect dinner for my young family. I serve it with a little rice and sweet peas.
I like your combination, Theresa! I appreciate your comment and review.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this, used half a jalapeño because I’m a wimp but it was perfect! Thank you!
So confusing and why are you even mentioning how to cook rice for