Raw chickpeas cooked with spices overnight in the slow cooked and then tempered with onion-tomato masala! Really flavorful, vegan & gluten-free!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 600 minutes
  • Total time: 610 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

to slow cook for 8 hours

  • 1 cup raw chickpeas
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 black cardamom
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 5-6 peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon chole masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt

for the masala

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 1 small red onion (chopped)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chole masala
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi
  • cilantro (to garnish)

Method

  1. In your slow cooker, add all ingredients listed under "to slow cook". Give a stir.
  2. Slow cook ingredients for 8 hours.
  3. In the morning, this is how your chickpeas will look. All done and soft. Keep it warm while you make the tempering.
  4. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add chopped ginger. Saute few seconds till ginger starts turning light golden in color.
  5. Add chopped onion, cook for 2-3 mins till raw smell goes away.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Add red chili powder, garam masala, chole masala, cumin powder and mix.
  8. Cook for another 6-7 minutes till tomatoes are nicely done and oil starts oozing out from the sides. [you may add 1 tablespoon of water if you think spices will burn while the tomatoes are cooking].
  9. Transfer cooked masala to slow cooker. Add kasuri methi and 1/4 cup water (if required), Mix everything.
  10. Slow cook again for 2 hours.
  11. Add in chopped cilantro and mix. Serve chana masala with rice or any bread of your choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.