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.
Can potato curry be frozen? ›
Curries also freeze beautifully. You can make them in a large batch, either in a saucepan on the stove or in a slow cooker. You can bulk them out with potatoes and other vegetables to make them more economical. Once cooked, you can freeze them in bulk or individual portions with rice.
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.
How long does it take to cook chickpeas? ›
Cover with cold water, add the bicarbonate of soda, if using, and leave to soak for 8-12 hrs. Drain the chickpeas and tip into a saucepan. Add cold water to come to about 8-10 cm above the chickpeas and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 45 mins - 1 hr, or until the chickpeas are tender.
How do you keep potatoes from getting mushy in curry? ›
How can I prevent mushy potatoes?
- Avoid overcooking them – once they're done, they're DONE and they don't need extra time. Overcooked potatoes are bound to break.
- Handle the entire curry quite gentle once they begin to get tender. ...
- Avoid slicing the potatoes – I prefer to cut mine into medium sized cubes.
Grab a skillet or a large pot and get your onions going first over medium heat until nice and fragrant. Then, toss in your chicken and curry paste and let that do it's thing. Finally, toss the potatoes in there. Simmer.
Which potatoes are best for curry? ›
For curry, it's best to use a potato that falls into the waxy category, which helps keep the potato's shape in dishes that have a more liquid base (like curries, soups, and stews). Otherwise, if a potato is more mealy than waxy, it may become too grainy or mushy when cooking. Yukon Gold.
Do you need to peel potatoes for curry? ›
Whether you peel the potatoes or not is a matter of personal preference. Traditionally, Japanese curry is made with peeled potatoes, but leaving the skins on can add extra flavor and texture. Just make sure to wash the potatoes thoroughly if you decide to keep the skins on.
What kind of onion is used in curry? ›
Onions are an essential part of everyday cooking in India and are found in many local dishes and are the base for curries. Some curries use a lot of onion, others just a small amount but onions are always in there somewhere. The best onions for use in curries are firm white onions.
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. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat.
Chole, a dish of spiced chickpeas (also called chana or chana masala!) originates in the Indian subcontinent but can be found wherever people from the subcontinent went and settled due to colonialism.
Are canned chickpeas cooked? ›
Canned chickpeas are pre-cooked chickpeas. You can eat canned chickpeas straight out of the can! (Just be sure to rinse them off before chowing down to wash out excess sodium) Otherwise, you can roast them or turn them into any number of delicious dishes, like these here.
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.
Are garbanzo beans the same as chickpeas? ›
The honest answer—there's no difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans. They're just two (of many) different names for the same type of pulse. (Pulses are basically seeds of legume plants.) The word chickpea doesn't come from chickens at all—it's an evolution of the plant's Latin name, cicer arietinum.
Can you overcook chickpeas? ›
Also, because the skins are softer, the chickpeas cook faster. A negative side effect is that the chickpeas might overcook and get mushy. Also, too much baking soda will make the chickpeas taste funny, almost soapy. So don't add more than 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of dried chickpeas.
Do you always have to boil potatoes before cooking? ›
You'll want to boil potatoes any time you don't want them to dry out (as they can when baked in the oven).
Do you pre cook vegetables for curry? ›
If you are (pre-)steaming the vegetables, your are keeping their individual flavor whereas by cooking in the curry sauce you get a more evened out flavor as the various ingredients contribute to the overall flavor and absorb the spices. This may or may not be what you prefer, but it's how your first recipe is designed.
Do you put potatoes in before or after boiling? ›
For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.
How do you cut potatoes for curry? ›
It's best to chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces for Japanese curry. Aim for cubes that are around 1 inch in size. This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly and are easy to eat.
