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A bowl of vegan Chana Masala on a green cloth, garnished with cilantro
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5 from 11 votes

Vegan Chana Masala/Chole (Chickpea Curry)

This is the Best Vegan Chana Masala you will ever make! Learn to make the Sour, tomatoey and thick sauce. chickpea curry. gluten-free soy-free Indian.  
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Keyword: chickpea curry, traditional Indian meal, vegan curry recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • pinch of asafetida hing
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 1 inch ginger chopped can be substituted with ginger paste
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped can be substituted with garlic paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or green chili to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 14 oz garbanzo beans washed and drained or 1 cup dry chickpeas soaked overnight and pressure cooked for 4-5 whistles.
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Chana Masala powder or to taste Recipe below or use the chana/chole masala blend from indian store.
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a blender, add 3 medium chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili, lemon juice, 1/4 can garbanzo beans(1/4 cup cooked chickpeas). Blend into a paste and keep aside.
  • In a pressure cooker, add oil and onions. Switch on saute or over medium heat if it is a stove top pressure cooker.
  • Cook until onions are translucent. Add in the spices, asofetida, chana masala blend and mix well.
  • Add in the tomato puree and cook on medium low, partially covered with occasional stirring until the paste thickens and starts to leave oil (about 15 minutes)
  • Add in the salt and remaining garbanzo beans and 1 to 1.5 cups water depending on your preference for thick or thin curry.
  • Pressure cook for 2 whistles(10 minutes). or cook covered until chickpeas are easily mashable.
  • Let the pressure cooker release pressure by itself(5 minutes). Adjust salt. Add more chana masala blend and chili flakes per taste. Mix well.
  • Serve hot topped with chopped onions, lemon wedges, cilantro and Rotis or Naans or Basmati Rice!
  • Saucepan: Use canned or slow cooker cooked chickpeas, or dry chickpeas soaked overnight. In a deep pan, make the tomato onion mixture as above. Add the chickpeas and 2 cups of water and cook for an hour or so, covered, until the chickpeas are tender. Mash some chickpeas and let cook for another 5-10 minutes uncovered. Adjust water for preferred consistency.

Notes

There are several types of pressure cookers. Some have different pressure settings. The one I use has a whistle top which acts as the pressure regulator(this model ). And it only has setting for high pressure. When the pressure inside builds up to high pressure, the pressure regulator automatically releases a little pressure at intervals to keep it maintained at a safe high pressure. That release sounds like a whistle because of the sudden steam release, which is counted to time the cooking as I have learnt from mom :) For cooking the chickpeas, keep the pressure regulator at high pressure for 10 minutes (which is 2-3 whistles in the model I use) at high heat, then reduce the heat to low-medium and continue to cook for another 10.
Nutritional values are based on one serving

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1.8mg