Easy chana masala (chickpea curry)
This curried chickpea dish is delicious, filling and low-cost!
10 mins
45 mins
211 kcal
10 mins
45 mins
211 kcal
SERVES
8
DIFFICULTY
EASY
SERVES
8
Difficulty
EASY
Chana masala is a classic Indian side dish- it’s spicy, hearty and warming and this version is also super easy to make and bulked out with extra lentils to make it more than just a side dish.
I served this up as part of a big curry feast that I cooked for a group of 16 friends- there’s very little work involved in pulling this together, and it’s one that you can cook in advance and just reheat when you need it (in fact I think this gives time for the flavours to develop and makes it taste even better!). I served this alongside Black bean, butternut squash & coconut curry, butter chicken and lime rice.
Chickpeas are such a fantastic ingredients- they make a great alternative to meat, they are full of fibre and nutrients and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer. I also love that they are great value to buy- this is really one of the cheapest curries you can make!
Would you like some more chickpea recipes?
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Easy chana masala (chickpea curry)
Ingredients
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 5 cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 green chilli deseeded and finely chopped
- Spice mix: 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- 3 cans (400g each) chickpeas drained
- 2 cans (400g each) chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp turmeric
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 100 g red lentils
- low calorie cooking spray
Instructions
- In a large pan, fry the onion gently in low calorie cooking spray until softened, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir fry for 1 minute
- Add all the spices and stir in well
- Add the chopped tomatoes, red lentils, tomato puree and lemon juice and stir everything together until combined
- Pop on a lid, and allow to simmer gently for 40 minutes, check half way through cooking and add a little water if it's looking too dry.
- Additional Info
- Serve with fresh coriander- makes a lovely side to other curries, or lovely just served with some freshly cooked basmati rice
