Photograph of this dish. Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Indian · punjabi, Iconic · India
Chana Masala
Also called Chickpea Masala
Chickpeas in a tomato-onion gravy with cumin and garam masala.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
A pot of chickpeas you can eat with rice or a spoon of yogurt. The onions are cooked past soft, which is where the gravy gets its body.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
80
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 13%
- Carbs 69%
- Fat 17%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 16.9 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 630 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Suits · Vegetarian
No meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Canned chickpeas, drained213 kcal
- Dry basmati rice201 kcal
- Ghee33 kcal
- Yellow onion20 kcal
- Tomato11 kcal
- Garlic4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 39.9. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 494 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 494 kcal after the change.
Use olive oil instead of ghee.
A dairy-free pot. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Use half the cayenne.
Same gravy, less heat. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 494 kcal | 25% |
| Protein | 16.9 g | 34% |
| Carbohydrate | 86.8 g | 32% |
| Fiber | 12.6 g | 45% |
| Total sugars | 10.4 g | 21% |
| Fat | 9.7 g | 12% |
| Saturated fat | 2.5 g | 13% |
| Cholesterol | 10 mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 630 mg | 27% |
| Potassium | 579 mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 120 mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5.3 mg | 29% |
| Magnesium | 81 mg | 19% |
| Zinc | 2.1 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin A | 75 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 16.2 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.7 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin K | 17 mcg | 14% |
| Thiamin (B1) · estimate | 0.8 mg | 65% |
| Riboflavin (B2) · estimate | 0.2 mg | 18% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 6.1 mg | 38% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg | 15% |
| Folate · estimate | 214 mcg | 54% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Fiber is generous, which helps the meal carry you.
- A middle path: useful food, with one or two numbers worth watching.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Canned chickpeas, drained, drained4 cups640 g
Yellow onion, chopped1 onion200 g
Tomato, chopped2 tomatoes240 g
Garlic, minced3 cloves10 g
Fresh ginger, minced1 tbsp12 g
Ghee1 tbsp15 g
Cumin seed0.5 tsp2 g
Ground turmeric0.5 tsp2 g
Ground coriander1 tsp3 g
Garam masala1 tsp3 g
Cayenne0.25 tsp1 g
Kosher salt0.75 tsp3 g
Lemon juice4 tsp20 ml
Cilantro0.5 cup15 g
Dry basmati rice1.25 cups220 g
Water1.75 cups400 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use olive oil instead of ghee.. A dairy-free pot.
- Use half the cayenne.. Same gravy, less heat.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Start the rice.
Rice 15 min
AI-generated photo.
2Cook onion in ghee until deep gold.
Onions 10 min
AI-generated photo.
3Add garlic, ginger, cumin seed, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant.
Spices 1 min
AI-generated photo.
4Add tomato and salt. Cook until the mixture looks like a paste, then add chickpeas and a cup of water. Simmer.
Simmer 15 min
AI-generated photo.
5Stir in garam masala and lemon. Finish with cilantro.
How you know it is done
Chana Masala is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Chana Masala looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Chana Masala spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Chana Masala, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Chickpeas and a tomato gravy reheat into lunches all week.
- Fiber from the chickpeas makes this more than a spiced side.
Notes
Pregnancy. Fully cooked. No alcohol. Chili is modest. Ghee is dairy; use oil if you are avoiding it.
From the kitchen. If the gravy tastes raw, it needs more time on the tomato, not more spice.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.