Chana Masala Recipe

About Chana Masala

Over the years, chana masala has become a widely popular Indian curry among vegan food lovers. Because: Chana Masala is one of the most loved curries. I have another delicious version of instant pot chana curry truly restaurant style in my cookbook.

My Zero Oil Chana Recipe

This special Delhi-style chole masala recipe is tried and tested over the years. The USP of this curry recipe is that it requires zero oil or fat. I would not say that my chana recipe is better than the one served at the pushcarts across Delhi or it is an authentic version. But it is a bookmark-worthy chana curry recipe that always yields finger-licking good results with minimal time in the kitchen. The best part about this chana recipe is that there is not much cutting, chopping, and prep work involved. All you need to have is the requisite spices in the pantry. The dish’s flavour profile is defined by the right combination of spices added while preparing it. All the spices mentioned in the chana masala recipe contribute to the dish’s flavour.

How To Boil Chickpeas

I use the Indian-style stovetop pressure cooker to perfectly boil the chickpeas. You can do the same in an instant pot or electric pressure cooker. I often cook chana pulao and chana saag using an instant pot. You can use boiled chickpeas to make Mediterranean salad or hummus. Follow these steps to get perfectly boiled chickpeas each time:

Soak Chickpeas: Rinse and soak chickpeas in water for 5 – 6 hours before boiling. This reduces cooking time to almost half and makes chickpeas plum in size. Boil Chickpeas: Drain water from the soaked chickpeas or use the same water. And add 2 – 3 cups more. Do not add too much water. The ideal ratio is 1:2, one cup of chickpeas to two cups of water. Season the water with salt. And at last, don’t forget to add the whole spices while boiling chickpeas.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker: In a stovetop pressure cooker, chickpeas take 4 – 5 whistles over low heat to get boiled. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: Set the pressure cooker mode. Add soaked chickpeas along with water, whole spices, and salt to the inner pot. Close the lid. Set the steam valve to sealing mode. Pressure Cook chickpeas for 10 – 15 minutes.

Watch Chana Masala Video

Serving Suggestion

In India, spicy chole masala is served with deep-fried bhatura or kulcha, also known as chana – kulcha. The chana curry is loaded with potatoes, green chillies, masala onion, or green chutney. That combination is tantalizing. The instant ginger pickle or gobi gajar pickle tastes amazing with this chana curry. You can also serve this chana masala with jeera rice, poori, naan, or chapati.