Channa Masala Curry
Nepali Channa Masala Curry
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15
Total Time: 25 mins
Serving Size: 2-3
Ingredients
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 bay leaves ( optional)
2-3 red dried red or any fresh chilli (optional)
3 cardamom pods (optional)
¼ cup onion
1 tsp. garlic (adjust if you’re not a garlic lover)
½ tsp. ginger
Salt to taste
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. Turmeric
½ tsp. Garam masala
¼ cup fresh tomatoes or 2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups garbanzo beans
1 cup of water
Cilantro for Garnish
Instructions
Add 2 tbsp. cooking oil in a hot pan.
Add 2 bay leaves, 2-3 dried red or fresh chillies, and 3 cardamom pods. These ingredients are optional and will generally still be included in your garam masala mix.
Add ¼ cup onions and sauté for 1 min until brown.
Add ½ tsp. ginger and ½ tsp. garlic and sauté,
Add salt to taste, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. turmeric, and ½ tsp. garam masala. Cook the spices for 1 minute.
Add ¼ cup of tomatoes and sauté everything for 2 more minutes.
Add 2 cups of garbanzo beans and 1 cup of water. Let it simmer for 10-15 mins. Gravy should be thick.
Garnish with cilantro or scallions. Serve with rice, quinoa, or as a one pot meal. Enjoy your spiced up vegan dish.
Substitutions
Feel free to add potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, or any other veggie after step 6 to make this a hearty one pot meal. You can also use kidney beans (rajma) or other beans to make another version of this yummy curry Nepali style. Fun fact, vegetable based curry in Nepali is called “tarkari.”
Dry Garbanzo Beans
If garbanzo beans are dry, use the following method below:
Soak:the garbanzo beans overnight for a minimum of 8 hours before using this method:
Stovetop: simmer in hot water for 1-2 hours or until tender
Pressure cooker/ Instant Pot/ Ninja Foodi: After sautéing ingredients, add the beans and pressure cook for 8 mins. Be sure to turn the vent to seal position. Once the timer is done, pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes.
Typical Nepali Garam Masala
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon timur peppercorns (Szechuan pepper) (optional)
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger (optional)
Garam masala and curry powder mixes vary according to households, regions, and even countries that have curry as one of the main staple dishes. You can use whichever garam masala you prefer or have on hand for this recipe.
Here are links to ingredients:
Hello lovely humans,
Channa masala is a very popular vegetarian dish in Nepal and India. It is packed with both flavour and protein with a delicious tomato curry base. It is a fairly easy dish to prepare under 30 mins. Enjoy it with rice, roti, quinoa, or as a one pot dish.
Channa Masala has been one of my favorite meals. In fact, when I was in boarding school in India from 4th-5th grade, I turned into a vegetarian because our cafeteria or mess (very military-like) hall food served better vegetarian dishes. Every Tuesday was Chole bhature day, which was this channa masala recipe served with bhature, a fried bread made from maida (white or all purpose flour) similar to puri (but a thicker and bigger version). I looked forward to this meal every Tuesday because it was delicious and simplicity at its best.
Now, decades later, channa masala is still my favorite go to dish whether I make it myself or order it from my favorite Nepali or Indian restaurant. This is a perfect and easy one pot vegan dish that serves all the bold spice flavors while being pretty easy to prepare. With the current quarantine cooking, one of my first instincts was to store as much as lentils and garbanzo beans as I could as staples in my pantry. Making this dish is an easy and sustainable option as we get through this quarantine. You can also freeze the channa masala or meal prep in advance.
I hope you enjoyed making this dish. Sending you all positive vibes.
Love,
Upahar