Quick Chana Masala
Easy and quick chana masala recipe served over basmati rice. This spicy, hearty Indian dish is vegan and gluten free. It makes great leftovers, too!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
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Chana masala is one of my favorite menu items at Indian restaurants. It’s a hearty, saucy chickpea and tomato dish with warming spices. I bet you have the ingredients to make this easy homemade version in your pantry already!
I shared this recipe back in 2014, and wanted to revisit it as we’re all spending more time at home. I thoroughly enjoyed the fragrant 20 minutes I spent over the stove for this recipe.
To make this chana masala, you’ll need onion, ginger, garlic, and several good-for-you spices, including coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Garam masala is the traditional spice blend for chana masala, but if you don’t have that on hand, you’ll find alternatives below.
I’d like to start cooking Indian recipes more often. Which one would you like to see next? For more pantry-friendly recipes, check my healthy pantry recipes roundup.
Authentic Chana Masala vs. This Quick & Easy Method
I was happy when I found a recipe for quick and easy chana masala in the pages of Angela Liddon’s cookbook, The Oh She Glows Cookbook (affiliate link). I’ve modified Angela’s ingredients and cooking method a bit. Let me be the first to point out that this recipe is somewhat unconventional!
Authentic chana masala is typically made with whole spices, plus some dried mango powder (amchur). This recipe makes use of ground spices, which we’ll cook in some oil to bring out their best. Instead of dried mango powder, we’ll garnish the dish with a wedge of lemon for tart flavor.
Watch How to Make Chana Masala
Canned Tomato Options
I love using crushed fire-roasted tomatoes in this recipe, which offer a shortcut to rich, long-simmered flavor. If you don’t have them, don’t worry.
You can also use canned whole tomatoes (with their juices), and crush them against the side of the pot with a sturdy spoon as they simmer. Or substitute diced tomatoes, which will produce a more chunky result (you could blitz them a few times in a food processor or blender beforehand, to achieve crushed tomatoes).
Spice Options
Garam masala is traditionally used in chana masalas. Garam masala roughly translates to “hot spice mix” in English. It’s made from a blend of coriander, cumin, cardamom (green and black), cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and other spices that vary by region and preference. No two masalas are exactly alike.
If you don’t have garam masala and don’t want to make another trip to the store, here are a few unconventional options. I know for certain that tikka masala is nice (tikka masala has brighter notes of chili powder and paprika).
Or, you could use a teaspoon of yellow curry powder—it won’t taste the same, but it will be good! If you don’t have either of those, you could likely just omit the spice blend, and add a pinch of ground clove and cardamom to the pot if you have them.
Craving more Indian recipes?
I’m working on my expanding my collection of Indian recipes, but here are a few favorite recipes inspired by Indian cuisine.
- Creamy Golden Milk (Hot or Iced)
- Quick Dal Makhani
- Masala Lentil Salad with Cumin Roasted Carrots
- Turmeric-Spiced Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Cauliflower: See the Indian-inspired version.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out in the comments.
Quick Chana Masala
Quick and easy chana masala recipe served over basmati rice. This spicy, hearty, chickpea-based Indian dish is vegan and gluten free. It makes great leftovers, too! Be sure to prep the ingredients in advance, as the recipe moves quickly. Recipe yields 4 bowls.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice, for serving (rice is optional, I like to cook extra to have on hand for other meals)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium serrano or jalapeño pepper*, minced (remove ribs and seeds to tame the spice level)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala**
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional!*)
- 1 large can (28 ounces) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the rice (if you want to serve the chana masala on rice): Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove and rinse the rice in a fine-mesh colander. Once boiling, pour in the rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice. Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and season with sea salt to taste.
- Cook the chana masala: In a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, serrano and salt. Cook until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and cayenne (if using), and cook for another minute, while stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices. If using whole tomatoes, use the back of a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes apart (you can leave some chunks of tomato for texture).
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chickpeas. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 10 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop. Season to taste with additional salt, if desired. If it’s not spicy enough for your liking, add another pinch of cayenne.
- Serve over basmati rice, if desired, and garnish with a lemon wedge or two and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.
Notes
Recipe adapted with permission from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.
*Tame the heat: While chana masala is inherently full of spice, the serrano (or jalapeño) and cayenne pepper are what bring the heat. If you’re sensitive, reduce or omit them both. You can always stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper at the end of cooking if you want more.
**Spice blend note: Garam masala is traditional. If you don’t have it and want to get by without making another trip to the store, you could use tikka masala instead, or perhaps even 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder. Don’t have any of those? I suspect this dish would be nicely flavorful with an added pinch of clove and cardamom, or even nothing at all.
Storage suggestions: This recipe makes for great leftovers! Store the rice, chana masala and garnishes separately for best results. Warm the rice and chana masala together, then garnish with fresh lemon wedges and cilantro. Leftovers should keep well for up to 5 days. I believe you could also successfully freeze the chana masala and rice components for later.
Change it up: Though untraditional, I think this would taste great with a generous splash of coconut milk for some creaminess (it would also mellow the spices somewhat).
Update 3/18/20: The recipe originally called for cumin seeds (1 ½ teaspoons) instead of ground cumin. I made the switch because ground cumin is easier to find. The recipe called for cooking the cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onion, etc. (Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently, until the seeds are golden and fragrant. Watch carefully to avoid burning the seeds.)
Nutrition
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It was ok. As others have found, it doesn’t really taste like chana masala, the primary taste is the can of tomatoes. I think the comment below that it is more of a tomato chickpea stew is a good description.
This was pretty easy to make (as advertised ) and the seasoning blend was great. The lemon was a great touch
I’m a private chef and refer to your website all the time, thank you for the great vegetarian ideas!
I make this recipe a lot and it’s always a hit. so yummy. thank you!
good flavour
Aloha again!
This is tangy, flavorful and spicy…really good. I used fire roasted tomatoes. I didn’t feel like running out to the store so I used some sliced jalapeños from a jar and diced up well. Worked out perfect. I used the Garamond masala I purchased from a spice store while visiting Orlando. I had everything in house and am pleased as punch. This recipe is delicious. Mahalo, Beanie & Baxter
I’ve been enjoying Indian food for 25 years both in the US and India. This recipe was terrific. I was concerned I would end up with a watery dish but I used crushed tomatoes and as I poured the can into the saucepan I knew my dish was going to be the right texture. I think the trick is to make sure whatever can of tomato you choose isn’t soupy to start off. Loved the flavors and spice. Love so many of your recipes. Thanks for all the yummy meals.
I made this for my work week lunches. I really enjoyed the flavor profile of this dish!!!! I did add the brown basmati rice. I used canned crushed tomatoes as that we the consistency I desires. Easy to make and flavorful, this meal will most definitely be in my rotation. Thank you, Kate! I’ve told coworkers about your blog as they are always commenting on my lunches.
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Teresa!
Crazy good! Easy tasty& satisfying!!!
I’m glad you love it, Nancy!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! The chickpeas got perfectly soft but not mushy, and it was hearty and satisfying but still felt healthy. Would definitely repeat the recipe again. I did add in a little tomato paste as well and would not say it was soupy at all, great consistency.
Made this, I personally seasoned it a bit more because I like spice and added a flour slurry (~3 tbsp of flour to ~3tbsp of water) to thicken the sauce and it came out great!
I’m glad it turned out the way you wanted, Hayden! I appreciate your review.
I made this last night and it was friggin’ delicious! Served over wild rice.
Thank you!
I really like this recipe! It is so easy and can be made with mostly pantry staples. I have made this at least 3 times, and have not experienced the issues others have mentioned with the tomatoes. I let it simmer for about 10 minutes, and it thickens up nicely. There is just enough juice to make it not seem dry after I add the rice (I just mix it in at the end). This also stores really nicely!
Thank you for your review, Laura! I’m glad you liked it.
So, this might sound weird!
I’m actually Indian, from India, and I moved to the UK last year for uni. Sadly, I never really learned how to cook back home, and was craving some ‘home food’ last night. I looked online for a recipe and came across this— I have to say that I was very impressed with how it turned out. It wasn’t quite the same as the channa masala I ate back home, but still gave me that comforting feeling while filling me up.
I’m glad you enjoyed this, Lila! I appreciate your review.
Love it! The lemon seriously is required, it just ups all of the flavors!
Delicious! Used fire roasted tomatoes and the spice was perfect!
I’m glad you loved it, Julie!
I have never made an Indian recipe before, but I will certainly make this recipe again. I followed your recipe, making no changes, and it was delicious. I used the Muir Glen, fire roasted, crushed tomatoes, and the sauce was thick and flavorful. The addition of the fresh lemon juice was lovely. To serve it over rice, I will have to thin the sauce with vegetable or mushroom broth.
Can I substitute garam masala paste for garam masala powder?
You could try it, although I recommend this best as written. Let me know what you think if you do!
Oooh my word this is yummy. I followed the recipe but added about 10 cloves of garlic. Hubby & love garlic. I also omitted the serrano/ jalapeno pepper. Too hot for me. Hubby used a blender, but i preferred it as it was cooked. Thank you for this yummy recipe :-) I will be making this for friends soon. Oh, hubby wanted chicken with it! Ugh
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Veronica! I appreciate your review.
Very good and would make again. The seasonings were nice and bright, used lemon juice at end, and also had some cumin seeds and added one teaspoon of those when doing the onion and pepper. Used whole peeled roma tomato in sauce, simmered probably longer as I was doing other things. Added baby spinach at the end too–I am sure not traditonal but I like lots of veggies where ever I can add them. This is the type of dish that gets better and better as it sits. Great with cauliflower rice and also did basmati rice and steamed green beans on side. Since only two of us I will give freezing some of it a try.
Great to hear, Frances! I appreciate your review.
Exactly what I was looking for.
If I wanted to add tofu to it would I bake it ahead of time or just have it cook in the skillet?
Hi! I would suggest my How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu
Thank you for sharing, I am really appreciate your recipe.
I love that!
Thank you, Sankalp!
I purchased lots of reduced tomatoes that were in great condition. I broiled the tomatoes in the oven to bring out the vibrant flavour. Then I followed your recipe. What a lovely dinner we just finished. Thank you for a wonderful infusion of spices and ingredients. Oh, for the extra broiled tomatoes. They are now in the freezer, ready to add to my next spaghetti sauce.
Thank you for sharing how you made this recipe, Michelle!
YUM YUM SO DELICIOUS-I used diced fire roasted tomatoes instead because that’s all my grocery store carried-2 10 oz. cans and at the end added coconut cream on top!! Of course with cilantro and lemon wedges!! SO SO YUMMY-will be making this again-thank you xoxo
Thank you for your review, Helene!
I love your recipes so it pains me to leave less than a stellar review but thought this may help others. As written and using crushed tomatoes this didn’t have much flavor for me. I added 1/2 can full fat coconut milk (full fat makes a difference in any recipe) and a pinch of cloves, which made a big difference. Is it traditional? Not at all, but I’d rather it taste good since that’s all that matters in my house :)im letting it cook for quite a while to hopefully let the flavors develop and further cook off the canned tomato taste. Using the recipe as a starting point was helpful though!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe, Maggie. I appreciate your feedback.
Great recipe, super easy. I haven’t been able to find garam masala, so I used curry instead. Like some other mentioned, my chickpeas didn’t absorb much flavor despite simmering for a long time. I just took a potato masher and mashed some of them up and found that resolved the issue. I also probably doubled all the spices but that may just be individual preference.
We just had this recipe tonight. It was very good. We didn’t think it was too soupy or had too many tomatoes, but we did simmer everything for 15-20 minutes or so. My spouse added some mango pickle he had bought at an Indian grocery and felt that it really added.
Thank you for your review, Carole!
I really enjoyed this recipe and would encourage adding some cream or non dairy milk as suggested; for me the acid of the tomatoes needed it! I also added about twice the salt. I’m looking forward yo how the flavor develops ver the next few days.
First and foremost, Kate, this recipe is awesome. My wife is tough to please, but she was talking about this dish three days later…and she just told me this morning that it HAD to be really good if she was talking about it three days later.
I wanted to make this a low-carb but still filling dinner, so I chose to eliminate the rice and, instead, cut up a couple of chicken breasts into cubes, cooked them, and then mixed them into the chana masala after it was cooked. It was wonderful. Obviously, not an option for vegan eaters, but a great suggestion for the rest.
Thank you for sharing, Paul! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
My daughter is vegan and I am always looking for recipes for when we see each other. This Chana Masala dish is so delicious!
I made it for my husband and myself this week (we do meatless meals often) and can’t wait to make it for our daughter at Christmas time.
I did not use the serrano pepper….dish is plenty spicy for us.
I’ve never had this in a restaurant so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like, but this recipe was quick, easy and delicious.
I have made this recipe many times and agree with your description that this is a “quick” chana masala and not quite the same as a genuine chana masala. That said, I love it as a quick, healthy weeknight dinner that everyone likes.
I started adding about a tablespoon or two of sugar and a dash of cinnamon near the end of simmering, and found that it really elevates the flavors.
I love your quick healthy channa masala! I’ve made it with roasted cauliflower added which I really like. Can’t wait for more Indian recipes!
AMAZING!
Made this today for my husband and two adult sons. Everyone raved about it ~ fragrant, beautiful color, and sooo delicious! This is going to be a repeat on our menu rotation!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Kristine.
This recipe turned out incredible! I used whole tomatoes and their juices and needed to double the seasonings and cook for a bit longer to cook off some of the liquid. So excited to make it again.
Great to hear, Ashley! I appreciate your review.
We made this the other day and it is delicious .My husband and I didn’t know if it would ba good but thought so far we have loved most of the recipes you put here and it was so nice we are making it again today .Actually any Indian recipes you include would be lovely ,at least we think so
Reign
That’s great to hear, Reign!
Always delicious. Made as it only added a little more fresh garlic and ginger. This tastes even better the next day. Kate’s recipes are the best.
Thank you, Margaret!
Great recipe says the whole family. Easy, with well balanced spices. I added a dash of agave syrup to round up the tomato acidity, half a teaspoon more masala and sprinkled with dried cilantro (had no fresh) which was the perfect touch. Soo good.
I purposely made this one day in advance. Incredible flavor. Not difficult. My husband and my daughter both liked it. However my daughter didn’t like the brown rice, she liked the main recipe. I’m sure I’ll make it again.
This recipe and your one for lentil soup are the absolute best. ThankS
Nilima Srikantha
This is terrific just as written. Have made this 3 times now and is a go-to for a quick hearty lunch. For those that do not like the acidic taste of the tomato (my husband), a pinch of sugar or some cinnamon will fix that. The tomatoes you choose should taste good to you straight from the can, as their quality effects the taste significantly. Thank you Kate
You’re welcome, Leslie! I appreciate your review.