Easy Channa (Chick Pea Curry)
Submitted by tazvnh
Canned chickpeas transformed into a fragrant curry with fried onions, garlic, whole spices, and curry powder. A quick channa masala that smells incredible and comes together in under 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minChanna masala is comfort food across India, and this version makes it totally doable on a weeknight.
The secret is building a proper base masala: onions fried golden, garlic bloomed with cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, then curry powder toasted until the kitchen smells like heaven.
A few tablespoons of ketchup might sound unusual, but it’s a time-tested shortcut in many Indian kitchens. It adds sweetness, tang, and body to the sauce without needing a dozen extra ingredients.
Canned chickpeas go in with their liquid, which thickens into a saucy gravy as it simmers.
A generous handful of fresh cilantro stirred in at the end brings everything to life.
Chef Tips
- Fry the masala until the oil separates. This is the sign that your base is properly cooked. The spices should be fragrant and the mixture should look glossy.
- Don’t drain the chickpeas. The starchy canning liquid thickens the curry and gives it body.
- The ketchup trick is real. It sounds odd but it’s a common shortcut in Indian home cooking. It adds tomato flavor, sweetness, and acidity all at once.
- Serve with bread. Pita, naan, roti, or even warmed flour tortillas all work for scooping.
Ingredients
Directions
Fry the onions in oil at medium-high heat until golden and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add garlic, fry for a minute.
Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, fry for a minute (until the kitchen begins to smell really good!).
Now add the curry powder to the onions, fry for a minute or two.
As the mixture begins to stick, add the ketchup to make it more pliable.
Keep on frying for about 5 minutes, stirring fairly constantly.
Once this “base masala” is ready (one hint is if the oil starts separating from the mixture), just add the chickpeas, including the water they are in.
Stir to mix, heat until it boils, then cover and lower the heat to medium-low.
Cook for 15 minutes, take off heat and stir in coriander leaves.
Serve hot, with heated pita, tortillas, Indian bread (roti, naan or puri) or rice.
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