Home » Main Course » Chickpea and Potato Curry Recipe
I love chickpea potato curry (Aloo Chana Masala). The richness of the spice mix gives this dish an intense and complex flavor that just bursts into your mouth. Chana Aloo curry is a North Indian dish with chickpeas and potatoes as the main ingredients cooked in a delicious curry-based sauce that tastes delicious when eaten with white Basmati or Jasmine rice and a dollop of yogurt on top to cut the spiciness a bit.
Ingredients you’ll need:
To make this wonderful chickpea potato curry, you will need several spices. They all add flavor, but if you don’t have them all, don’t worry. Use the ones you have.
- Spice mix: ideally, you would use all these spices, but if you are missing a few, it’s ok. The most important ones are curry powder, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika, but I also used nutmeg, All Spice, thyme, dried fenugreek leaves, and cayenne pepper. If you don’t like too much heat, omit the cayenne
- Onion and garlic: are basic flavor enhancers
- Potatoes: I used red potatoes, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand
- Chickpeas: canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Crushed tomatoes: you can use diced, but add the juice. Crushed are the best though
- Chicken broth: use vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian
- Green onions and fresh parsley: are added at the end for freshness
How to make Chickpea Curry?
Chana Aloo is very easy to make. Just follow these simple steps:
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and saute the onions and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes
- Add the spice mix and cook for one more minute
- Mix in the potatoes until fully covered with the spice mix
- Pour in the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through
- Stir in the freshly chopped green onions and parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve over steaming Basmati or Jasmine rice and with natural yogurt on the side to bring down the heat.
What to Serve With Chickpea Curry?
Freshly made Garlic Butter Rice Recipe is a must to spoon the curry over! You can also add Our Favorite Mushroom Rice as another dish for a vegetarian feast. Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad is a great addition to the meal for a bit of freshness, The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Lifeas a complement is also a great idea!
Storage:
If you have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day! You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Chana Aloo?
I have found the best way to do it is in the microwave, but you can also do it on the stovetop. Add a little water if you feel the curry has dried a little.
Chickpea and Potato Curry Recipe
Chickpea Potato Curry is like a party of flavors for the mouth!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5 SERVINGS
Calories 306 kcal
Ingredients
For the spice mix:
- 1 ½ tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp All Spice
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you don’t like too much heat)
For the curry:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cup potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2- 14 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1- 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and saute the onions and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Add the spice mix and cook for one more minute
Mix in the potatoes until fully covered with the spice mix
Pour in the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through
Stir in the freshly chopped green onions and parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve over steaming Basmati or Jasmine rice and with natural yogurt on the side to bring down the heat
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 41.7gProtein: 13.2gFat: 8.7g
FAQs
No! You don't need to boil the potatoes first. To make a basic curry, just add them to the onion tomato masala and simmer. Potatoes cook with the spices and absorb all the wonderful flavors.
How to cook chickpeas from dry? ›
Soak 1/2 cup dried chickpeas for 12 hours. Drain, rinse, and add the soaked chickpeas to a pot. Cover by a few inches with water, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook at a simmer until tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
How long do chick peas take to cook? ›
Drain your soaked chickpeas and tip them into a pan. Add cold water until you have twice the volume of the chickpeas. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer the chickpeas for 45 mins (if you are going to cook them further in another dish) or up to 1 hour.
What is chickpea curry made of? ›
Coconut Chickpea Curry is a simple & fast one pot Indian dish of curried chickpeas made with coconut milk, tomatoes and store-bought ground spices. That said, you can absolutely change up some of the flavors of this beautiful curry. Make it authentic coconut chickpea curry by following my recipe notes below.
What potatoes are best for curry? ›
I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes when cooking curries, because they have a slight buttery flavor and creamy texture thanks to their medium starch content. Red Potatoes. They don't need to be peeled before cooking and hold their shape well when cooked.
Why are my potatoes not softening in curry? ›
Other tips are make sure you don't add acidic ingredients early on (lemon, lime, yogurt ect) as this prevents the potatoes softening. Also make sure the curry has plenty of spice and salt to work with bland potatoes. Rather than boil, steam until almost done, then add to your curry and cook for around 5 minutes.
What happens if you don't soak chickpeas before cooking? ›
Generally, if you did not pre soak the chickpeas, they will take 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW to become tender. You can shorten the cooking time by preheating the water in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes before adding to the beans.
Why add baking soda when cooking chickpeas? ›
By adding baking soda, you are increasing the pH of the water and making it more alkaline. This helps break down the pectin in the chickpeas which softens their skins better and faster. This is especially important when you are making hummus and want the creamiest consistency possible.
Why are my dried chickpeas still hard after cooking? ›
My beans are not softening: If the beans are not softening, you may be using old beans, or your water is high in minerals (hard water). Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the cooking water. If the beans are still hard after 2 hours of simmering on the stove, your beans may be too old.
How do you know if chickpeas are fully cooked? ›
The amount of time it will take to cook dried chickpeas will depend on their size, how fresh they are (beans can be stored for month or years), and the cooking method. You can tell if they are ready when they are tender to the bite.
Generally undercooked chickpeas will not make you sick unless and until you have a weak gut. Chewing helps in breaking undercooked chickpeas which prevents them from falling sick. If you happen to eat undercooked chickpeas with weak gut health, you might end up having loose stools.
Are dried chickpeas better than canned? ›
They are the basis for foods like hummus and falafel and, while it is convenient to use canned chickpeas, dried chickpeas really are a better option. Dried chickpeas are much more economical and they tend to have a more natural flavor because they aren't soaked in preservatives.
Why is my chickpea curry bitter? ›
Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish.
How to make chickpea curry thicker? ›
Add more or less vegetable broth based on your preferences. For example, add more vegetable broth if you like a more soupy and liquid curry. On the other hand, if you want a thicker curry, you can reduce the amount of vegetable broth or let the curry simmer for more than 30 minutes.
Are garbanzo beans the same as chickpeas? ›
Although their names are very different, garbanzo beans and chickpeas refer to the same bean. And to confuse things a little more, chickpeas are beans, not peas. "They are the same, one is obviously more Anglophile," says Steve Sando, the founder of heirloom bean company Rancho Gordo.
Should you boil potatoes before cooking? ›
In most potato recipes, I recommend starting potatoes in cold water and bringing them up to a boil. This helps ensure that the exteriors don't turn to mush before the insides have a chance to cook through.
Do you cook vegetables before putting in curry? ›
I boil the veg for a bit with the lid off on a high heat so the water will evaporate off. Then add a bit of oil so the veg won't stick and cook until the veg browns a bit but this sometimes results in mushy veg. Then i chuck in some chickpeas, curry paste and tinned tomatoes or coconut milk.
What happens if you don't boil potatoes before baking? ›
Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.
How to get potatoes to absorb flavor? ›
Shower them with salt.
Dense potatoes don't absorb seasonings easily, so you'll need to salt the water liberally so that the water the potatoes do drink up also carries in seasoning. And because potatoes are so timid in flavor, they need that salt to bring them out of their shells. Pour some salt in, then keep going.
