Chana masala or chickpea curry, often called Amritsari Chole, originates from Punjab but is popular all over India. There are many versions of this dish and every house has its own take on it. This super authentic recipe from my mother-in-law’s kitchen is my favorite, with the chickpeas smothered in a delicious thick, piquant and spiced gravy. First, they are cooked and infused with black tea and black cardamom, then simmered with a masala made with supremely aromatic roasted spices. This dish gets its tang from dried pomegranate seeds and raw mango powder. Though it’s a little bit of work, it is the real McCoy and once you’ve had this version, nothing else will live up to it!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 pinch of baking soda
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 black tea bag (or 2 teaspoons black tea leaves in a muslin bag)
- 1 black cardamom pod
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup ghee or oil (I like to use a combination of both)
- 2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
- One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or mashed
- 2 medium cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 to 4 Thai green chiles or serrano peppers, finely chopped (see Cook’s Note)
- 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or whole peeled canned tomatoes, chopped; 1 cup)
- Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend, recipe follows
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving, optional
- Julienned ginger slaw, for serving, optional (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- One 2-inch piece cinnamon
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons dried pomegranate powder (anardana)
- 1 teaspoon raw mango powder (amchur)
- 1 teaspoon black salt, such as Himalayan black salt or kala namak
- 1 teaspoon red chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, then combine them in a large Dutch oven with the baking soda, bay leaves, black tea bag, black cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. (To pressure cook the chickpeas, see Cook’s Note.) Bring the mixture to a boil in a large Dutch oven, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered with a lid, until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly before the chickpeas are tender, pour in an additional 1 cup of water and continue to cook. Discard the tea bag, bay leaves and cardamom. Drain the chickpeas and put them back in the pot.
- Meanwhile, heat the ghee and/or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook until the raw smell goes away, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until well cooked and pasty, about 8 minutes. Add the Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend along with 2 tablespoons of water and saute until well mixed and the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the spice mixture to the chickpeas with 1 cup of water (see Cook’s Note), mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until the curry thickens and coats and infuses the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges or julienned ginger slaw, if desired.
- Combine the whole spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom) in a small heavy skillet (preferably cast iron, if you have it) and roast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often to ensure even roasting, until the spices start getting darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add the powdered spices (pomegranate powder, mango powder, black salt, chile powder, turmeric and asafoetida) and cook, shaking or stirring constantly, until slightly darker, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the spices. Immediately transfer the spices to a bowl and cool. Once cooled, grind the spices. You can double or triple this recipe and keep it in an airtight container for future use.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 363 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 33 mg |
| Sodium | 564 mg |
Reviews
It’s a very complicated recipe and I was game for it. I found an Indian Grocery for the ingredients, even the Thai peppers.
It was a disaster — but one which shows me it can be great on the next try. Some tips for next time: Be sure the spices are ground to a fine powder — this is no small trick. I tried a mortar and pestle — no way to get the cardamom pods and the cinnamon bark ground that way. I sacrificed a coffee grinder and still should have ground it more carefully and finely — there were small chunks of cinnamon in there. Also — I chose the midpoint in spice using the Thai peppers — and it was so spicy that I had to add half a can of coconut milk and then mix in tons of yogurt at serving and still it blasted us. Next time — I’ll use the low end of peppers as that will surely be sufficient.
That said — I see the potential for greatness and will give it another try next time I have a weekend with no big agenda
It was a disaster — but one which shows me it can be great on the next try. Some tips for next time: Be sure the spices are ground to a fine powder — this is no small trick. I tried a mortar and pestle — no way to get the cardamom pods and the cinnamon bark ground that way. I sacrificed a coffee grinder and still should have ground it more carefully and finely — there were small chunks of cinnamon in there. Also — I chose the midpoint in spice using the Thai peppers — and it was so spicy that I had to add half a can of coconut milk and then mix in tons of yogurt at serving and still it blasted us. Next time — I’ll use the low end of peppers as that will surely be sufficient.
That said — I see the potential for greatness and will give it another try next time I have a weekend with no big agenda
Truly Punjabi taste!!
great