Chana Masala

5 from 2 votes

This vegetarian dish is made with chickpeas or garbanzo beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, and garam masala. It's vegetarian and vegan-friendly, making it a great meatless dinner option that packs in antioxidants

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Brining8 35

Total Time9 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Lynda - Southern Kissed

Equipment

Pressure cooker

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons salt for brining
8 ounces dried chickpeas picked over and rinsed
1 small red onion three-quarters chopped coarse, one-quarter chopped fine
10 sprigs fresh cilantro stems and leaves separated, stems cut into 1-inch lengths
1 ½ inch ginger peeled and chopped coarse
2 cloves garlic chopped coarse
2 serrano chiles stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin crosswise, divided
14.5 ounce whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 ½ teaspoons garam masala

Instructions

Dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse well.
Process coarsely chopped onion, cilantro stems, ginger, garlic, and half of serranos in food processor, until finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, about 20 seconds; transfer to bowl. Process tomatoes and their juice in now-empty processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Using highest saute function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add onion mixture and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 3 cups water, chickpeas, and processed tomatoes.
Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Stir garam masala into chickpea mixture and continue to cook, using highest saute function, until sauce is thickened, 8 to 12 minutes. Season chickpea mixture with salt to taste. Transfer to wide, shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle with finely chopped onion, remaining serranos, and cilantro leaves. Serve.

Video

Notes

If you haven’t preplanned your meals for the week and need to speed up the soaking process of the dried chickpeas, simply add chickpeas to a saucepan, cover them with an inch of cold water, and bring to a boil for a minute. Remove the chickpeas from the heat and let sit covered for 1 hour. Drain and follow the rest of the recipe.

Nutrition