Indian · Easy
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Weeknight Chana Masala
A deeply spiced chickpea curry built on slow-cooked onions, tomatoes and warming garam masala. Ready in about 40 minutes using pantry staples.
Prep10 min
Cook30 min
Total40 min
Serves4
Good chana masala is all about the onions. Cook them past soft and translucent until they're properly brown — that's where the depth comes from. Canned chickpeas keep this realistic for a Tuesday night, and a final squeeze of lemon wakes everything up.
Method
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20–30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Stir in ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds so the spices toast without burning.
- Pour in the tomato purée and cook for 6–8 minutes until the mixture thickens and oil begins to separate at the edges.
- Add the chickpeas and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes, lightly mashing a few chickpeas against the pan to thicken the gravy.
- Stir in garam masala and amchur (or lemon juice), season with salt, and garnish with coriander. Serve with rice, roti or bhature.
Cook's notes
- For a richer gravy, add a crushed black cardamom pod with the cumin.
- It tastes even better the next day as the spices settle.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Allergy note: Always check ingredient labels for allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, soy and eggs, particularly when cooking for others.