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Two bowls of black chana masala with avocado and pita slices, topped with vegan sour cream.
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5 from 7 votes

Black Chana Masala

This is a thick tomato-based stew with black chickpeas. It's well-spiced from ginger, garlic, onion, green peppers and traditional Indian spices. Traditional tan chickpeas can be use in place of the black chickpeas.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Vegetarian Dinner, vegetarian lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Black Chana Masala, Black chickpeas
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 403.8kcal
Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 roasted globe eggplant
  • 1 ½ cups dried black chickpeas, or 3 cans cooked tan chickpeas (if you can't find black chickpeas)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped (1 large onion)
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, or ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 tablespoons ginger paste, or finely mined ginger
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Serrano chile, finely diced (see ingredient notes)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala spice
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro optional (for garnish)
  • 1 avocado optional, for garnish
  • Vegan Sour Cream optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400˚F, and slice the eggplant in half, lengthwise.
    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the eggplant halves face down on the parchment paper. Roast for 1 hour.
    Allow to cool, and remove the meat using the step-by-step instructions in this post. Set aside, and discard the skin. (This can be done a few days in advance.)
  • If you're cooking your beans from a dried form, follow these directions for cooking them on the stove, the slow cooker or an electric pressure cooker.
    If you use the electric pressure cooker directions, add 15 minutes to the cook time for black chickpeas. Drain. (This can be done up to 1 week in advance.)
  • Warm the olive oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger and Serrano pepper to the pan with the onions. Sauté over medium heat until it all begins to brown and caramelize. This takes 5 - 7 minutes. It will be very aromatic.
  • Pro Tip: Use a mortar and pestle to grind the brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add the garlic cloves and Serrano chile and mashed them into the mix. Add the ginger paste, and mix together. Add to the pan of onions. Grinding them like this amps up the flavors even more.
  • Add the tomato paste, garam masala and turmeric, and cook another 3 - 4 minutes until the paste thickens more.
    Add the tomatoes, roasted eggplant, cooked chickpeas and ¾ cup water. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
  • Serve with slices of avocado, cilantro and sour cream if desired.

Notes

Ingredient Notes

Black Chickpeas are primarily available over the internet. I haven't seen them in the bins of my local store. I buy heirloom beans and get mine from Chili Smith.
You can mince your own ginger, or do what I do and purchase Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste and their Lightly Dried Ginger. I've tried several products, and these are my favorite by far.
If you don't want your chana masala too spicy, use jalapeño peppers, and be sure to remove the pith and seeds. The pith in particular adds heat to a dish. If you like yours a little more spicy, use Serrano peppers.
Traditional chana masala finishes with lemon, but I also like a lime finish. Use whichever you prefer.
I roasted an eggplant and added it to the sauce for an extra hit of umami. It keeps the sauce for being too much about the tomatoes. If you choose not to use it, no other adjustments are needed.
The Vegan Sour Cream drizzle is totally optional. My favorite is Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative (plant-based). It's the best one I've tried so far!

Nutrition

Calories: 403.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.5g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.2g | Sodium: 91.9mg | Potassium: 1114.1mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 14.8g | Vitamin A: 490.2IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 114.6mg | Iron: 6mg