Easy Chana Masala Recipe | Simply Healthy Vegan

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This Easy Chana Masala is a healthy and simple Vegan Indian food recipe made using chickpeas, tomatoes and spices. Chana masala is a delicious Indian recipe that is mild-hot in flavour and can be made in 30 minutes. This spicy dish goes really well with fluffy white rice and chapati.

This Indian vegan recipe is also a budget-friendly mid-week meal idea that can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer.

The beauty of making your own homemade Indian recipes is that you can make the dish as mild or as hot in flavour as you please.  And if you are like me, a super sadist then you will want to use lots of chilli in this recipe.  My chana masala recipe uses 3-4 Fresh green chillis which if bought from the supermarket don’t tend to be as hot as the homegrown ones.  I also make my own chilli powder by drying out the red chillis and blending them into a fine powder.  Even a little of this chilli powder is super hot, so always test the taste as you go along before you throw everything in.

• A traditional Indian Vegan curry dish made using chickpeas
• Mild-Hot in spicy flavour
• Freezer Friendly meal
• Budget-friendly dinner
• Gluten-free and Vegan
• Soy-free
• Midweek meal idea
• Can be made in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.

ARE CHICKPEAS HEALTHY?

Yes! Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a really healthy meat substitute as they are high in plant-based protein. They have a number of different health benefits such as aiding weight loss and digestion and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Chickpeas are high in fibre which is why they are a great choice for weight loss and the protein will help you feel fuller for longer. Although they are high in carbohydrates, they are relatively low on the GI Scale which may also help with balancing or lowering your blood sugar levels.

They are also high in potassium and magnesium, chickpeas have heart-protecting qualities that may help protect you from heart disease.

Chickpeas have a grainy and nutty texture and taste and go really well in vegan curry dishes as they soak up the flavour. This makes them a great all-rounder!

HOW TO COOK CHICKPEAS

Chickpeas (Chana) take a lot of preparation time-wise.  So if you are going to make this recipe from scratch then you will need to use 3/4 cup dry chickpeas.  They will need to be soaked in water overnight, or for at least 8 hours to prepare them.   Of course, you could always use a can of chickpeas for this easy chana masala recipe to make life a little easier, but cooking chickpeas from dry is far more economical and budget-friendly.

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Made sure that you add lots of water. – or enough water so that it is well above the chickpeas as they will soak up the water and expand.
3. Discard and discoloured chickpeas.
4. Drain and rinse.
5. Simmer the chickpeas for
6. If you are making hummus then you will want to cook the chickpeas for a little longer so they are soft and easy to blend into a smooth and creamy texture.

You can also cook chickpeas in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker which will save you a lot of time.  Here are the

• Soak and Cook: Soak for 8 Hours and simmer for 2 hours on the stovetop
• In the Slow Cooker: cook for 4 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat
• In a pressure cooker or instant pot: cook for about 1 hour

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS EASY CHANA MASALA

• Chickpeas – either canned or dry
• White onion
• Fresh Garlic Cloves
• Fresh ginger
• Green Chillis and Red Chili Powder
• Coconut Oil, vegetable oil, coconut ghee or vegan butter for frying
•  Spices:  Ground Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric, Garam Masala
•  Tomates – I used fresh tomatoes although you could also use tinned tomatoes (approx 1 can)
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Basmati rice, chapati, Coriander to serve *optional

HOW TO MAKE CHANA MASALA

This easy chana masala can be made using the one pot.  You could also use a thermomix or an instant pot or even a slow cooker for this recipe.

This recipe is simple to make and can be made in 5 simple steps.

1. Start off by melting your coconut oil in the pot you are using on low heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and spices stirring frequently until golden
3. Turn the heat up to medium and add your chickpeas and tomatoes and cook for 25 mins stirring occasionally
4. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chana masala before serving

MORE VEGAN INDIAN FOOD RECIPES

• Vegan Curried Chickpeas
• Peanut Butter Curry
• Red Lentil Masoor Dal
• Indian Eggplant Stew
• Palak Tofu
• Tadka Dal

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Thank you for reading, I hope you have enjoyed this recipe.  If you have tried my recipe then please do me a favour and leave me a comment and rating on my recipe.  I would also love to see what you have made, so please don’t forget to #tag me in your posts on Instagram: @Simply_healthy_vegan

Emily 

xoxo

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