A blend of warm Indian spices, tender chickpeas, and a rich tomato sauce. This spicy and hearty Indian dish is completely vegan and gluten-free. Serve over basmati rice or naan bread.
An aroma of spices and spicy notes…this dish is definitely one of my favorites. I’ve always been a huge fan of Indian food, so it was about time I took on the task of creating my own Indian dish. I did a lot of research understanding what spices are traditionally used and what are the best quality ingredients to get.
The quality of the ingredients are key to making this recipe taste restaurant quality.
- Tomatoes -> I used San Marzano whole tomatoes (28 oz. can).
- Make sure your spices are not old or going bad! Freshness is key.
- Good quality canned chickpeas -> such as Goya or Eden’s Organic.
This Easy Chana Masala is…
- Spicy
- Savory
- Hearty
- Flavorful
- Rich
- Warming
- Easy
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Oh so delicious!
A blend of warm Indian spices, tender chickpeas, and a rich tomato sauce. This spicy and hearty Indian dish is completely vegan and gluten-free. Serve over basmati rice or naan bread.
- 2 tbsp neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable or canola
- 1 medium white onion, diced (1 ¼ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder) see notes
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or hot chili powder)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 28 oz. canned whole tomatoes
- 2-15 oz. can chickpeas
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In a heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 min. until fragrant and translucent.
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Add cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook for an additional 3 min. Add in the spices and salt. Cook for 4 min. to allow the spices to toast. Pour in canned whole tomatoes. Use a fork to break them up into a chunky sauce. Add in chickpeas. Stir. Cook for 15 min. until tomatoes have slightly reduced and chickpeas are tender. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.
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Serve over basmati rice and/or naan bread. Squeeze over a bit of lemon, add fresh cilantro and a dash of red pepper flakes.
You can find amchur on amazon, a speciality spice store, or Middle Eastern grocery store. You can also substitute it with tamarind paste, but it wont yield the same, authentic taste to this recipe.
Hello, Awesome Article, and Your information about the chana masala is very amazing and so much useful for me. Keep it up and thank you very much.:)