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A bowl of aloo chana curry garnished with chopped onions, green chilies, and cilantro, surrounded by sliced radishes, green onions, lemon wedge, and a plate of rice on the side.
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Aloo Chana Masala or Aloo Chole

A simple satisfying vegetarian curry made with chickpeas and potatoes.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Pakistani
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Sarah Mir

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cup potatoes cut into ½ cm thick pieces
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 4 black peppers
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 inch ginger (grated) or 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed or 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 ½ - 2 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tomatoes finely diced
  • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • as many green chillies as you can eat - I used 4-5 thinly sliced
  • lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large saucepan or wok, add cumin seeds, cloves, peppers, and kalonji. The seeds will sputter and smell amazing
  • Add onions and fry till golden
  • Now add the ginger and garlic, stir for a minute or two then add the rest of your dry spices i.e. coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
  • Saute for two minutes then throw in the chopped tomatoes, cook till 'bhunn' i.e masalas form a cohesive paste and oil rises above them.
  • Now add your chickpeas, potatoes, and baking soda. Stir well, then add one cup of hot water and cover your pan. Bring the mixture to a boil then let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
  • Mash the potatoes and chickpeas slightly with the back of a large spoon to create a thicker gravy. Taste for salt - you may need to add more.
  • Then top with cilantro, chillies, and serve with lemon wedges, achar and hot puris. Yum.