# Indian Chana Masala with Chickpeas

> Chana masala is chickpeas cooked in a sauce of onion, tomato and spices — a cheap vegetarian dish with a complete protein. The secret is **browning the onion to a deep brown**, which takes twenty minutes and cannot be shortcut. It is what gives the sauce its depth and colour.

**Indian Cuisine · 55 min · 4 servings · 320 kcal per serving**

Chana masala is one of North India's best-known dishes, eaten with bhatura, the puffed fried bread, or with rice. Amchur, dried green mango powder, provides the distinctive sourness that separates it from any other chickpea curry.

## Ingredients


### The base
- 2 — Cooked chickpeas (or two tins)
- 2 — Onion, finely chopped
- 3 — Tomatoes, grated
- 1 — Ginger and garlic paste
- 3 — Oil or ghee

### The spices
- 1 — Cumin seeds
- 1.5 — Ground coriander
- 1 — Turmeric
- 1 — Ground chilli
- 1 — Amchur (green mango powder)
- 0.5 — Garam masala
- 1.5 — Salt

### The finish
- 3 — Fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 — Lemon

## Method

1. **Brown the onion** — Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds until they crackle, then the onion. Fry over medium heat for **twenty minutes** until deep brown — this is the foundation of the entire flavour.
2. **Ginger and garlic** — Add the ginger and garlic paste to the browned onion and stir for two minutes until the raw smell goes and it starts catching on the base.
3. **Ground spices** — Add the coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for **thirty seconds only** — they burn over high heat. Splash in a spoonful of water if it sticks.
4. **Tomato** — Add the grated tomato and salt and cook over medium heat for **ten minutes** until it collapses and the oil separates and rises to the surface.
5. **Chickpeas** — Add the chickpeas with a cup of their cooking liquid, cover, and simmer for **fifteen minutes**. Mash a quarter of them against the pan to thicken the sauce.
6. **Finish** — Stir in the amchur and garam masala and take the pan off the heat. Add fresh coriander and lemon juice just before serving.

## Tips

- Twenty minutes of onion browning is not an exaggeration — it is the difference between real chana masala and chickpeas in sauce.
- Oil separating after the tomato is the sign the base is finished. Wait for it.
- Mashing a quarter of the chickpeas thickens the sauce naturally, with no starch needed.
- Amchur substitute: extra lemon juice, or a teaspoon of tamarind.

## FAQ

### What is amchur?
Dried green mango powder, which gives a distinctive earthy sourness. Sold in Indian spice shops; lemon juice substitutes, though the flavour differs slightly.

### Can I use tinned chickpeas?
Absolutely — rinse them well and use plain water instead of cooking liquid. It saves two hours of soaking and simmering.

### Why is my sauce thin?
The tomato was undercooked, or you did not mash any of the chickpeas. Cook until the oil separates, and mash a quarter of them.

### Can I make it without tomato?
Tomato is essential in the northern version. Without it you are closer to Punjabi chole, which relies on black tea for its colour.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/indian-cuisine/indian-chana-masala
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-30