Chana Masala — a plant-based Indian recipe by BOSH!
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Chana Masala

Chana Masala is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again, and honestly it never gets old. There's something about the depth of flavour you get from cooking dried chickpeas from scratch with tea bags and whole spices that you just can't replicate from a tin. The sauce is rich, tangy, and warmly spiced, and the chickpeas soak up every bit of it. It takes a bit of time but it's mostly hands-off, and the payoff is absolutely worth it. Make this on a Sunday and you'll be thinking about it all week.

Cook: 100 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Dried chickpeas soaked overnight
  • Large saucepan
  • Wok or large frying pan
  • Small bowl
  • Sieve
  • Fork
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 200g dried chickpeas
  • 1 ½ litre boiling water
  • 2 tea bags
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground fenugreek
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp plant-based butter
  • 1 onion
  • 5cm ginger fresh
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 green chillies
  • 200g plant-based yoghurt
  • ½ Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1

Cook the chickpeas

  • Place the saucepan over a high heat
  • Drain the soaked chickpeas, then tip them into the pan
  • Pour over the boiling water
  • Add the tea bags, salt, baking soda and whole spices
  • Bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium–high heat and cook on a rolling boil until soft, about 75–90 minutes, using a spoon to discard any scum that comes to the surface
  • Once the chickpeas are cooked, turn the heat off
  • They should be covered by 1–2cm of water so add a touch more water if needed
  • Fish out the tea bags, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms and discard (if you can’t find the spices it’s okay if they stay in)
2

Meanwhile, prep the rest of the ingredients

  • Peel and chop the onion very finely
  • Peel the ginger and cut it in half, slice one half into matchsticks and grate the other
  • Grate the garlic cloves
  • Trim and finely slice the chillies
  • Measure the yoghurt into a small bowl and use a fork to quickly beat it, then pour it through a sieve to remove any lumps
  • Repeat until the yoghurt is really smooth and liquid
3

Cook the spice mix

  • Measure all the spice mix ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine
  • Place the wok or frying pan on a medium heat and add the 2 tablespoons of oil
  • Add the spice mix and cook for 2–4 minutes, until the oil is bubbling and the spices have turned a darker brown
  • Carefully pour the oil and spices into the pan with the chickpeas, being careful not to splash yourself as hot oil and water can spit
  • Put the pan back on a medium-high heat
4

Prepare the curry

  • Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan
  • Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes
  • Add the yoghurt, all the ginger, the grated garlic, tomato purée, pomegranate molasses and chillies and stir
  • Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently
  • Add the spicy chickpeas and liquid from the other pan, squeeze in the lemon juice and add the sugar and dairy–free butter
  • Mix to combine
  • Taste and season, adding more salt, lemon juice, chilli powder or coriander to achieve the perfect flavour
  • Bring to the boil and continue to cook on a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 20–30 minutes, until you have a thick, gravy consistency and your chickpeas are cooked through
  • Spoon into bowls and serve hot

Tips & Variations

  • Soak overnight: Don't skip the soaking step. We know it requires a bit of planning but it cuts down the cooking time massively and gives you a much better chickpea. Just put them in a bowl of cold water before you go to bed and you're sorted.
  • Spice to taste: If you want more heat, add an extra green chilli or a pinch of cayenne when you build the sauce. We like it with a proper kick but it's totally up to you.
  • Make it ahead: This is one of those dishes that actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavours have had time to get properly acquainted. Make a big batch and reheat it through the week.

Why This Works

The real secret here is the tea bags. It sounds a bit mad but cooking the chickpeas with black tea gives them this gorgeous deep colour and adds a subtle earthiness that makes the whole dish taste like it's been simmering for days. We also find that letting the chickpeas cook properly from dried, rather than using tinned, makes a huge difference to the final texture. They stay firm but creamy, and they hold their shape in the sauce in a way tinned chickpeas just don't.