February 27, 2025
Raw chickpeas on the left vs dried and cooked chickpeas on the right
Fiber helps your body process and get rid of waste, ensuring better digestion. Meat has no fiber while one cup of cooked chickpeas has 12.5 grams — more than half the daily recommended amount. We could all benefit from more fiber in our diets. National surveys show only 5 percent of Americans meet the daily recommended amount, which according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is 22-34 grams, depending on age and sex.
On average, Americans consume around 15 grams of fiber per day. But, imagine if you added chickpeas to your day — you would be well on your way to meeting the daily recommended levels of fiber. Simply add them to your salad or soup, eat a bowl of hummus, or a cup of this Chana Masala.
And, better yet, if you make this dish with the healthy ingredients listed like onion-ginger-garlic and Indian spices, you have a powerhouse of a meal that will not only satisfy your tastebuds but keep you full longer AND give you a slight protein boost.
Follow my steps for an easy homemade and delicious restaurant-style Chana Masala without the extra oil and additives. Keep in mind my recipes always give you full Punjabi flavor. To pull back on the heat, reduce the amount of chiles and red chile powder. To mellow the overall flavor, reduce the Chana Masala spice by a teaspoon and the Garam Masala by a half teaspoon.
The addictiveness of this dish is from my own Chana Masala spice blend, roasted first and ground in small batches in America so it is as fresh as possible. I will say, I made this for my husband and he was blown away by how it exceeded the taste profile of our local Indian restaurant.
Soak 1 cup dried white chickpeas overnight or at least 2 hours in boiling water. Drain and discard the soaking water. Add the chickpeas to a roomy pot with 10 cups of water. Simmer partially covered for 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes). Turn the heat off, completely cover the pot, and let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water to thicken curries and other dishes. This yields 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas and 6 cups of chickpea cooking water (aquafaba), which is enough to make 1 batch of chana masala and a little more.
Yields: 4 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes + chickpea soaking & cooking time
Cook time: 20 minutes
Watch me make it on YouTube! And while you're there, consider subscribing!
Check out other ways to cook Chana Masala:
CHANA MASALA IS AN ICONIC INDIAN DISH IN OUR WEEKLY ROTATION — FOR GOOD REASON. It's deliciously addictive and a great protein option for vegetarians and vegans alike. Protein is not the only benefit, there are so many other higher protein sources. One cup of chopped chicken, for example, logs 38 grams of protein, while 1 cup of chickpeas has about 14.5 grams. But, what chickpeas offer that meat does not is fiber.
Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie.
Servings: 4
Keywords: Curry, Chickpeas, Chana Masala, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Chickpea Cooking Tip:
1 cup of dried chickpeas, when cooked, yield 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups. 1 can yields about 1 ¾ cups of chickpeas. I prefer to cook my chickpeas in ample water (1 cup of chickpeas in 10 cups of water) so that I have extra chickpea water, or aquafaba, that will eventually help thicken up my curry.
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