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–+ servings
Square photo of a bowl of vegan chana masala
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4.75 from 4 votes

Vegan Chana Masala

Vegan chana masala, an Indian recipe full of flavor. Delicious and comforting, it's ready in less than 30 minutes and packed with protein!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 2
Calories: 325kcal
Author: Iosune

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • ½-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and minced
  • 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin or cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds optional
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed, see notes
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a skillet and add garlic, onion, and ginger. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
  • Incorporate the canned tomatoes and the spices (garam masala, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bay) and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  • Put the bay leaf aside and blend the sauce. This step is optional.
  • Add the chickpeas and the bay leaf again (optional) and cook for 5 more minutes. 
  • Serve your vegan chana masala immediately (I added some chopped parsley on top) over basmati rice or naan bread. 
  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little water or vegetable stock if needed.

Notes

  • You can also use 1 and ½ cups of cooked chickpeas (250 g) instead of the can of chickpeas. Feel free to cook them following our Instant Pot chickpeas.
  • Omit the spices you don’t have or add more of another one.
  • Feel free to use fresh tomatoes, but you might need to add a little bit of water if the sauce is too dry.
  • You can replace cayenne with any other chile or spicy ingredient.
  • If you don’t like spicy food, omit the cayenne or add less amount of it.
  • If you want to reduce the amount of sodium in this recipe, just omit the salt, or add less.
  • For this vegan chana masala recipe, I didn't use coconut milk but feel free to use it if you want. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 12.2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 1343mg | Fiber: 13.8g | Sugar: 13.6g