Chickpea curry is a very special vegetarian dish that non-vegetarians are also sure to love. It is an incredibly versatile dish as it can be paired with all kinds of roti. It can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner. I took quite a long time to develop this recipe and a lot of trial and error to get it right. It is also the perfect protein dish for vegetarians.
The dish does take some time to prepare, as with all tomato based gravies, to bring in the richness it needs. However, it is still a light dish and not heavy at all.
How to prepare chickpea curry in 4 steps
- Cook chickpeas
- Then grind onions, tomato and cashews
- Next, prepare the curry base
- Cook chickpeas in the curry base
Check out the video here!
What to serve with chickpea curry
Can be served with bhatura, poori, or any type of Indian flat bread. Also, it can be served in plain boiled rice or ghee rice.
Special Garam Masala
This dish gets its unique flavour from special garam masala. A unique blend of Indian spices, it imparts an authentic flavour to this dish. Prepare ahead and store in airtight containers. This is used in a variety of my dishes like the classic butter chicken.
Now to make it, warm and grind the ingredients listed to a fine powder.
- Cumin – 25 gms
- Cinnamon – 25 gms
- Black cardamom – 25 gms
- Green cardamom – 5 gms
- Cloves – 10 gms
- Pepper – 10 gms
- Shahi jeera – 10 gms
- Mace – 3
- Bay leaves – 6
- Nutmeg – 1
- Dry ginger – 5 gms
After preparing, store the special garam masala in an airtight container for upto one month. It will stay longer but the flavour might lessen with time.
Chana Masala / Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
For Garnishing
Instructions
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Cook the chickpeas
Soak 1 cup chickpeas overnight. Drain and rinse well the next morning. Add 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Pressure cook until the first whistle, then reduce the heat and cook for another 8–10 minutes. Switch off and allow the pressure to release naturally. Open and keep the cooked chickpeas aside, reserving the cooking liquid.
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Prepare the pastes
Grind onion and ginger together to a fine paste. Blanch the tomatoes, peel, and grind to a smooth paste. Grind cashews and yogurt together to a fine paste. Keep all the prepared ingredients ready before starting to cook.
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Add the tomatoes
Heat a heavy skillet and add sesame oil. Add the ground onion-ginger paste and sauté, stirring continuously, until the onions turn deep golden brown. Add another tablespoon or more of oil if required.
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Add the remaining pastes
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground cashew-yogurt paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring well.
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Deglaze and add the spices
Add ½ cup hot water and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Cook until the gravy thickens. Add chilli powder, cumin powder, and half of the special garam masala. Cook for 2 minutes. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon sesame oil and cook well.
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Add the chickpeas
Add the cooked chickpeas along with some of the reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring or tossing occasionally.Add half of coriander leaves.
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Simmer
Add1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or hot water and simmer for 8–10 minutes, allowing the chickpeas to absorb the flavours. Add more hot water or stock at any stage, according to the consistency you prefer.
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Finish the curry
Sprinkle in the chaat masala and the remaining garam masala. Adjust the salt. If required, add a little more hot water, then add the remaining coriander leaves and bring the curry to a boil.
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Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chillies, and julienned ginger.
Note
Cooking chickpeas - Pressure cook chickpeas with water for one whistle. Lower the flame and cook for 8-10 min. Switch off and open once it cools down.
If you prefer less heat, deseed the green chillies before chopping.
How to blanch tomatoes - Bring a pot of water to a boil. Make a shallow cross-shaped cut at the base of each tomato and carefully place them in the boiling water. Blanch for 1–2 minutes, or until the skins begin to loosen. Transfer the tomatoes immediately to cold water. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and grind the tomatoes to a smooth paste.
When I'm in a hurry, I skip the cold water bath. I simply boil the tomatoes until the skin peels, drain them, peel off the skin, roughly chop, and grind them to a smooth paste.
Chaat masala, tomato paste - I have used store bought chaat masala and tomato paste in this recipe.
Homemade chicken stock imparts umami flavour.
