Chana Aloo or Chhole Aloo Masala (Spicy Chickpeas and Potato Curry)
on Feb 14, 2016, Updated Apr 07, 2021
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A home cooked basic Indian meal is what a perfect Sunday looks like! Chana Aloo or Chhole Aloo Masala (Spicy Chickpeas and Potato Curry) makes for a go-to when comfort food cravings strike. Its spicy, moderately hot and full of flavors!
Chana aloo might not be the fanciest recipe out there, but it sure spells comfort. I always make a big batch of this easy chole aloo masala because it refrigerates really well. Plus, there are so many ways you can have it. I generally serve this once with bhatura, once with naan or paratha, and once with rice. That’s how much we love this dish.
There are two different ways to make this dish – a longer method that requires you to do everything from scratch. But if you’re like me and stock up on a couple jars of bhuna masala in the freezer, then this dish comes together in a total jiffy!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A super quick and easy week night dinner recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes.
- Meal prep friendly. Can easily make a big batch and store in the fridge or freezer.
- Can be served in a number of different ways, so you don’t feel like you’re eating the same thing everyday.
- Is a 100% vegan and gluten-free recipe.
Richa’s Top Tips To Make The Best Chole Aloo Masala
- Chop the potatoes into small, even-sized cubes to make sure they cook fast and evenly.
- I have used dry chickpeas, which I boiled for about 7-8 whistles before making this curry. You can easily swap with canned chickpeas. Just make sure to drain all the water and give it a good rinse before
There are so many ways to eat this chana aloo. If you are making this for guests or for a Sunday feast, serve it with rotis, jeera rice, dal fry and cucumber mint raita. You can also serve it with just steamed rice for a comforting weekday meal. If you want to turn this one into a scrumptious breakfast, serve it with some hot bhaturas. No matter how you serve this one though, be sure to make extras cos it disappears really fast!
If you are trying this out, tag your photos @my_foodstory or use #myfoodstories and share some curry love with me on Instagram.
Chana Aloo or Chhole Aloo Masala (Spicy Chickpeas and Potato Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Ghee, or Oil
- 1 inch Ginger, julienned
- 2 Chilies, slit lengthwise
- 1 Cinnamon, stick
- 4 Pods Cardamom
- 4 – 5 Cloves
- 1 1/2 cups Bhuna Curry Paste, If you don’t have bhuna masala, see Step 2 of recipe instructions
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder, Red
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric, Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander, Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin, Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, Powder
- 2 cups Chickpeas, cooked (See Note 2)
- 2 Potatoes, Boiled , Peeled and quartered
- Salt , to taste
- Coriander, Chopped for topping
Instructions
- Blend bhuna masala in a blender till smooth.
- If you don’t have bhuna masala readily available, heat a tablespoon of oil or ghee in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds start spluttering, add 3 chopped onions, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and 1 teaspoon chili paste to it. Cook till the onions are translucent and add 4 chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Once cooled, blend till smooth and follow the instructions below.
- Heat ghee in a large casserole or kadhai and add ginger, chillies, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Saute for a minute on low flame. Be careful not to let the ginger or spices burn.
- Add bhuna masala and stir in red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and salt. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Add cooked chickpeas, potatoes and 3/4 cup water. Bring this to a boil. Once the curry starts boiling, reduce the flame and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice, parathas or bhaturas.
Notes
- If you don’t have bhuna masala, follow instructions in this link: http://www.myfoodstory.in/bhuna-masala-or-everyday-indian-curry-paste-recipe
- To cook chickpeas, soak dried chickpeas in water overnight. The next morning, boil chickpeas in water till soft and can be easily smashed in between your fingers. You can also pressure cook for 7-8 whistles.
Kintaro red chili oil is the main attraction of a modern kitchen. Kintaro has zero pungency. Kintaro is prepared from Kashmiri chili infused with the sesame oil. The filtered red oil gives instant red colour. Add Kintaro to any gravy, prepared dish, cooking oil or chutney. Kintaro is vegan.
Wow! Wonderful recipe, Thanks for sharing
Wow, this looks really delicious. I would want to try your recipe.