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Thick homemade chana masala finished with coriander and green chilli in a well-used saucepan
Chana masala in a rustic bowl – chickpeas in a rich dark gravy, garnished with coriander and green chilli, puris alongside.

Chana Masala

A store cupboard curry with real depth. Crushing a quarter of the chickpeas against the pan thickens the sauce without any cream.

Prep
10 mins
Cook
30 mins
Total
40 mins
Serves
4
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Kitchen roadmap

Before you cook

The details that make or break this dish, mapped to the exact step where they matter.

  1. Watch forTake the onion to gold
  2. Watch forCook out the tomatoes
  3. Make sureMash only a quarter

Ingredients

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Method

10 steps

  1. Cook the onion in oil for 8–10 minutes until golden.

  2. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 45 seconds.

  3. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and 2 teaspoons AL Mix.

  4. Cook for 8 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down until a thick masala forms.

    Thick cooked tomato masala leaving a clean track across the bottom of the pan

  5. Add the chickpeas and water.

  6. Mash approximately one-quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pan.

    This naturally thickens the curry.

    A wooden spoon mashing a small portion of chickpeas against the side of a pan of chana masala

  7. Simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes.

  8. Taste and add the remaining AL Mix or extra dried mango powder if it needs more sharpness.

  9. Garnish with coriander and green chilli.

  10. Serve with puri, naan, rice or a baked potato.

If it does not come out right

The faults this dish actually has. Open one for the fix.

Why does my curry taste flat?

A curry tastes flat almost always because of salt and acid rather than spice – under-salted food reads as missing something, and a curry cooked without tomato, yoghurt, lemon, amchur or tamarind has no sourness to lift the spice, so adding more masala makes it duller rather than brighter.

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Why does my curry taste raw?

A curry tastes raw because the ground spices met liquid before they met hot fat – powdered spices need 60 to 90 seconds in oil hot enough to shimmer, or eight to ten minutes of bhunai once the onions and tomatoes are in, before the dusty, unfinished note cooks off and the oil separates from the masala.

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How long do you fry onions for a curry base?

Fry sliced onions for 20 to 25 minutes over medium heat for a standard Punjabi curry base, until they are deep golden and collapsed – seven minutes gives a pale, sweet base, and 35 to 45 minutes on low gives the dark, jammy base used for a bhuna or a restaurant-style gravy.

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One blend for karahi, curries, marinades, chips and everyday cooking.

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