Restaurant Recipes Chana Masala

This is an easy and delicious recipe that works perfectly for a weeknight dinner or for feeding a crowd at a party. The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

I make the spice masala powder in advance and store it in the freezer. The masala powder stays fresh for months if stored in the freezer. I make a big batch of the powder and store it so I always have a stash ready to go whenever I need it.

The ingredients that we do not use in a typical South Indian kitchen are black cardamom, amchur powder and kasuri methi. Amchur powder is dry mango powder. Kasuri Methi is nothing but dried fenugreek leaves powder. These ingredients give the North Indian style chana masala a unique taste and is very much required for making this recipe. Kashmiri red chilli powder gives this dish a bright dark red colour. A heavy duty mixie / blender is preferred for grinding the spice powder and the Indian style mixie works best. A coffee grinder can also be used.

Learn How To Make Restaurant Like Chana Masala At Home!

Dry roast cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and black pepper on a low flame till the spices are fragrant. Switch off the flame and add in the kasuri methi, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and amchur powder. Saute for a few seconds on the residual heat from the pan. Set aside this mixture to cool.

Once the mixture is cool, grind to a fine powder. Set aside. This powder can be stored in the freezer for months and will stay fresh. The spice powder recipe can be easily doubled or tripled accordingly.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. I have used a 5 liter pressure cooker for making this recipe today. Add in a bay leaf. Add in finely chopped onions and saute till the onions are light brown in colour.

Amritsari Chole Recipe + Video (authentic Punjabi Chole Masala Recipe)

Add in the green chillies, ginger garlic paste and coriander leaves. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the prepared spice powder. Add all of it. Add in the salt. Add in a little sugar to balance the flavours. Saute for a few seconds.

Grind 5 tomatoes in a mixie to a puree. Add the puree to the pan. Make sure to use ripe tomatoes as ripe tomatoes always taste better in chana masala gravy. Mix well to combine. Add in about 500 ml water.

Add in the soaked and drained chickpea. Mix well. Cover the pressure cooker and add the whistle on. Wait for the first whistle. After the first whistle, reduce the flame of the stove to low / sim and let the chana masala cook for 30 minutes. Ignore the number of whistles. After 30 minutes, remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally.Make best everrestaurant style chana masalausing basic ingredients available at home. Its simple, easy, vegan, gluten freeand without store bought chana masala powder or spice mix. This incredibly delicious Punjabi recipe has all the factors to top your favourite's list. Here is how to make chana masala recipe on stove top and instant pot pressure cooker step by step.

Super Easy Chana Masala (instant Pot

Well, first let me tell you that chana masala is also referred to as chole recipe in Indian cuisine.So, have you ever tried the combo of chana or chole chawal or chana puri or chhole kulcha? I am sure you must have definitely tried it atleast once. After all, it is famous not only in India but across the globe.

Chana Masala is a delectable North Indian (Punjabi) curry of chickpeas or kabuli chana cooked in onion, tomato and basic spices gravy base. The use of whole spices in the form of paste along with onions gives an incredible flavours and aroma to the dish.

A luscious gravy with firm but super tender to bite chickpeas coated perfectly with thick sauce bursting out with flavours is what exactly Chana Masala means to me.

Slow Cooker Chana Masala + Video

Do you know the secret to authentic and best channa masala recipe? Well, let me share this secret to you, it's all in the ingredients that we are using to make this recipe.

Always use, great quality of chickpeas, and try to make the recipe using dried chickpeas only instead of the canned ones. Next goes the good quality spices and of course the firm, red and ripe tomatoes makes a huge difference in the recipe.

For restaurant style intense flavours, do not skip the use of tetra pack tomato puree. Sautéeing the spices or masala in oil deepens the flavours bringing out the best of the taste to the dish.

Punjabi Chole Masala Recipe

Chana masala curry freeze very well up to 2 months in clean big air tight containers/zip pouch or in portions and stays perfect for good 5-6 days under refrigeration.

The best of its combo is with any Indian bread like Puris/Bhaturas (puffed fried bread), kulchas, plain or lachha parathas. Or steamed basmati rice or jeera rice and even ghee rice. Do not forget to serve some onion rings or pickled onions or grated radish salad and some lemon wedges on the sides.

Another key point here to mention is, this recipe does not make use of any store bought or ready made chana masala powder. The recipe itself has the alluring aroma and delectable flavours without using any readymade spice mix.

Restaurant Style Punjabi Chole Masala

So, I can definitely say that, this is the perfect channa curry that do not require any exotic or hard to find ingredients. All of them are easily available on our kitchen shelf.

All in all, this is best chana masala recipe that can not only be served during weekday lunch or weeknight dinners but also at any vegetarian or vegan meal party or get togethers.

Yes, you can use canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to make channa masala recipe. So, the cooking time for the stove top as well as instant pot chana masala recipe will reduce to more than half a time.

Restaurant Style Chana Masala Recipe + Video

But, I would highly recommend you to use dried chickpeas for that authentic intense chickpea curry flavour. Further, you can use, canned tomatoes as well to make this kabuli chana curry, if you wish to.

Again, do follow the same procedure to make this recipe in a pressure cooker. Well, in this method, you can directly cook the soaked chickpeas along with the spices. Moreover, pressure cooker procedure do not require pre boiling of chickpeas.

To make chana masala, let's begin with soaking of kabuli chana. First, In a large bowl, add 500 gms chickpea, clean and wash it well. Then soak it in enough water for at least 8 hours, I usually soak kabuli chana for 10 hours for best results.

Chana Masala (authentic Indian Recipe)

Meanwhile, we will make the pastes. Firstly, add chopped onions in a blender along with, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black peppercorns and 1 stick of cinnamon. (photo 1)

Then, add 5 chopped tomatoes along with 2 tbsp of tomato puree in a blender and blend it to a paste, set it aside. (photo 3 and 4)

Once the chickpeas are ready to cook after soaking, add it in pressure cooker along with 5-6 cups of water, a pinch of soda, 2 bay leaves and 1 stick of cinnamon.Then, pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles on high and then 3 whistles on low. (photo 1 and 2)

Sukha Kala Chana Masala Recipe

: However, if we add ¼ tsp of baking soda to 500 grams of chickpeas while boiling, it take only 7-8 whistles in total to cook it thoroughly. In this case, it will be 3 whistles on high and 3 whistles on low. This is how I boil them while making any chickpea recipes.

To begin with, first, heat oil in a pan or a pot. Then add black cardamom and cinnamon stick, fry for few seconds.After that, add onion masala paste and saute on high for 3-4 minutes or until raw smell goes off (photo3)

Once the onion masala cooks well, add 4-5 green chillies along coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and cumin powder. Then, mix everything well and add ¼ cup of water to avoid the burning of the masalas. (photo 5)

Authentic Chana Masala (indian Chickpea Curry)

Now that masalas are sauteed well, next we have to add blended tomato paste and salt. Cook until tomato and all the masala cooks well together and it start leaving the oil. This will take about 5 minutes on high heat. (photo 6)

After that, add amchur powder, boiled chole, and ginger juliennes, mix well. If you wish to make the gravy then add, reserved boiled chickpea water as per the required consistency. Then, bring it to boil. (photo 7)

Follow all the preparation steps mentioned above - overnight soaking of kabuli chana (chickpeas), grinding of onion masala paste and blending tomatoes along with puree.

Kala Chana Recipe

3. Now, add green chilies, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and cumin powder and sauté for 3 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of water to avoid burning of spices and anything getting stuck at the bottom.

8. Once IP beeps, allow the natural pressure release for 15 minutes and then carefully quick release with valve on venting position.Press sauté mode on 'low', add garam masala powder and kasuri methi and simmer for