Weeknight · Instant Pot · About 35 minutes

Chana Masala

Name: Chana Masala
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 tbsp dried chopped onion; 3 tbsp water; 3 tbsp refined coconut oil; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 4.5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1 tsp granulated garlic; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 1 ½ tsp green serrano chili powder; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 can tomatoes; 2 cans chickpeas; 1 tsp garam masala; 2 tbsp coconut sugar; 1 lemon

A weeknight chana masala — chickpeas simmered in a bloomed-spice tomato sauce, finished with garam masala and lemon. Naturally vegan, protein-rich, and even better the next day.

~35 min total 10 min prep Instant Pot method

Spoon cost

Time ●○○○○ Anytime

Instant PotVeganGluten-Free

Fewer ingredients, shortcut steps — the same dish, less to track.

Servingsamounts scale to match

Units

Ingredients

Bloom the spices in the oil first. Frying the cumin, garlic, ginger, and chilies in hot oil for a minute before the tomatoes go in is what gives chana masala its deep, toasty flavor — skip it and it tastes flat. Finish with garam masala and lemon off the heat, so they stay bright.

Before you start

Get these into the state the recipe asks for first — the steps that use them won't wait.

The ground spices — cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and the two chili powders — measured into one small bowl — they bloom in the hot oil together and scorch inside a minute; there's no opening six jars once the oil is hot
Garlic minced, if you're using fresh cloves in place of the granulated — it fries with the spices, so it has to be ready before the pan is
The tomatoes puréed and the chickpeas drained — they go in right behind the bloom to keep it from catching

Method

Cook's notes

No Instant Pot? Deep skillet or pot: bloom the spices, add the sauce ingredients, and simmer uncovered, 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and simmer 10 minutes more, smashing a few against the pan to thicken. Canned chickpeas mean there's nothing here that needs pressure.

Bloom the whole-ground spices in hot oil before the tomatoes — that toasty first minute is the flavor base.

Coconut sugar (or brown sugar) balances the tomatoes' acidity; start with 2 tbsp and adjust.

Garam masala and lemon go in at the end, off the heat, so they stay fragrant and bright.

No garam masala? Mix ¼ tsp cayenne, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cardamom, ½ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp nutmeg.

Easier, if you like

Canned chickpeas and a can of puréed tomatoes are the whole base — no soaking.
Dried chopped onion (rehydrated in a little water) skips the chopping; ½ a fresh onion works too.

Already vegan and gluten-free — adjust the heat

Heat: the green serrano chili powder brings the kick — use a fresh serrano, or ½ tsp cayenne, if you can't find it.

Serving: rice keeps it gluten-free; naan is wheat.