This extremely flavorful curry loaded with Indian flavors can be made under 45 minutes!
Most popular curry in the house
If there is one dish that is a regular in our house then it has to be Punjabi Chole or Chana Masala. We make it every few days and the best thing is even KR cooks this dish well. We both love chickpeas cooked in Indian masala gravy and enjoy it guilt-free.
What is Chole
Punjabi Chole is a popular dish from the Indian subcontinent, notably in North Indian and Pakistani cuisines. It’s made with chickpeas. The spice quotient is mainly medium to spicy and it’s cooked in tomato-onion gravy. The chickpeas need to be cooked right and remain whole.
Favorite Memories
Growing up, whenever we would go to a particular restaurant, Dad and I would always order Chole Bhature. Even today, when I visit that restaurant near my home, I always land up ordering it. I somehow connect this dish to my pleasant memory of dining with my dad. My school canteen would also serve it. The lady at the canteen there would serve Chole Bread every Monday for us students. There would be particularly long queues that day because this dish was a hit in our school. The aroma would reach us first before the lunch-break even started and we would all rush to order it. It would sell like hot cakes! I’m dedicating my today’s post to my dad and the canteen lady at my school.
Recipe Video
Some of my favorite chickpea recipes
Instant Pot Chickpeas Spinach Curry Chickpeas Potato Curry Chettinad Kondai Kadalai Kuzhambu Himachali Chana Madra Shahjahani Dal Butternut Squash Chickpea Thai Curry
While Chana Masala is a gravy version, there is also a dry version called Chickpea Stir Fry/Tawa Chole which is delicious as well.
Why this is the best chickpeas curry
Chana Masala which literally means chickpea curry is usually a vegan curry but some like to make it in ghee/butter instead of oil which makes it non-vegan. But otherwise, there is no dairy used to make chana masala curry. This gravy is very delicious to taste and super easy to make using basic pantry staples. It can easily be made on a stovetop or in the Instant Pot. I have shared both versions here.
Ingredients needed
Chickpeas - Raw, uncooked chickpeas are more economical to use and that is what I mostly use. But you can use canned chickpeas as well.
Why soak chana?
If using raw chickpeas, soaking is an important step in order to cook them well. Soaking makes the chickpeas plump and it helps them cook faster. It also helps in reducing flatulence. In absence of this, you may use regular garam masala. Veggies like onions and tomatoes are very essential in giving this chickpea curry its flavor. You can also add bell peppers.
Here’s how to make it
This is the Instant Pot I use. You can watch the recipe video above to see how to make it and/or follow the instructions below.
Instant Pot Version (Soaking needed)
Stovetop Version
You can use canned chickpeas to save on the cooking time (no need to soak canned chickpeas). I prefer boiling in a pressure cooker, chickpeas that were soaked overnight, with salt and turmeric powder.
Serving Suggestions
You can also add some raw chopped onions and squeeze lime juice over it. Punjabi Chana/Chickpea Masala is now ready.
What do you eat it with?
It tastes the best when served with Jeera Rice, any mildly flavored rice, or even plain steamed rice. Another popular combination is to serve it with Poori/Puri or Bhature. We also pair it with bread or any Indian flatbread like roti, naan, or chapati.
Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions
In case you don’t have chole masala, you may skip it. Just add the other spice mixes. To make traditional Pindi Chole, a tea bag is added while pressure cooking and discarded after. While adding it does not alter the flavors, it lends a deep brown color to the curry. You can use canned chickpeas for the Instant pot version. No need to soak canned chickpeas. Use a 1:1 ratio for chickpeas and water. Follow all the steps and pressure cook for 5 minutes. After the cooking cycle completes, do a quick release or allow natural pressure release. If you are using old or organic beans, increase the cooking time by 5-8 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding more or less water. To thicken the gravy, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, rice flour, or chickpea flour mixed with 2-3 tablespoon of water. This recipe can be easily doubled, however, the pressure cook time remains the same. You can follow this recipe to cook any variety of beans like black-eyed peas, kidney beans, pigeon peas, lima beans, etc. Forgot to soak chickpeas? No problem. Soak them in hot water, covered for 40 minutes. Then use. You can also cook them in the Instant pot manual mode for 55 minutes followed by natural pressure release. Punjabi Chole can be easily frozen for a couple of months. It also stays well in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also pre-cook the chickpeas and freeze them. That way, whenever you feel like cooking with chickpeas, you can save on time and make something instantly. If you’ve tried this Vegan Chana Masala Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what I’m getting up to.
Listen to this recipe on our Podcast Channel!
Recipe 📖
This is our seventh episode, in which I have shared the recipe for Instant Potato Dosa. This is a delicious breakfast dish from Southern India. Dosa is an Indian crepe that is popularly paired with a condiment called a Chutney. The recipe Ithat I’m going to talk about in today’s episode is:
Potato Dosa
This is the Chutney I recommend pairing this Dosa with. I spoke about it in Episode 6:
Andhra Style Chutney Recipe
You will find more chutney recipes on this page:
Condiments
The traditional Dosa recipe is here:
Uttapam/Dosa Batter
These are some more delicious Dosa recipes that you may find interesting:
Instant Wheat Flour DosaQuinoa DosaInstant Carrot & Oats Dosa/Crepes Masala Dosa with Sweet Potato Filling
If you try any of these dishes, then I would love to see photos of your dish - my Instagram handle is @cookilicious. If you have any questions or feedback, please write to us at contactthechef@cookilicious.com. If you have been listening to our podcast regularly and like it, then please subscribe so you are aware of new episodes when they come online.
