Chana masala (, literally 'mix-spiced small-chickpeas'), also known as channay, chole masala, chhole masala, chole or chholay (plural), is a dish originating from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

. The main ingredient is a variety of

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are hi ...

called ''chana'' () or ''kala chana'' ('black chana') which are approximately half the diameter of typical chickpeas with a stronger flavour and firmer texture even after being cooked. ''Chole'' is the name for the larger and lighter coloured chickpea commonly found in the West. These are known as ''kabuli chana'' () in

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

. Chana

masala Masala, Massala or MASALA may refer to: Spice * Masala (spice), any of the many spice mixes used in South Asian cuisine ** Masala chai, a flavoured tea beverage ** Masala incense, Indian incense using a spice mix ** Masala dosa, an Indian dish Pl ...

is fairly dry and spicy with a sour

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...

note (the flavor usually comes from

coriander Coriander (;

and onion). ''Chana'' are usually replaced by ''chole'' in most restaurants, and both versions are widely sold as

snack food A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snacks are ...

and

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consump ...

in the Indian subcontinent.

Ingredients

Along with chickpeas, the ingredients of chana masala typically include onion, chopped tomatoes,

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned fro ...

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

coriander Coriander (;

powder, garlic, chillies,

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...

, amchoor or lemon juice, and ''

garam masala Garam masala Hindustani / (''garm masala'', "hot spices")] is a Spice mix, blend of ground spices originating from India. It is common in Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Caribbean cuisines. It is used alone or with other ...

''.

Regional dishes

India

In India, it is sold by street vendors and restaurants, and may be eaten with Puri (food), puri.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, this dish is called ''choctpoti'' and usually eaten as a snack or appetizer. Kala chana masala in Bangla language is called ''boot'' and also eaten with rice puffs known as ''muri''.

Pakistan

''Aloo chole'' is a Pakistani variation of chana masala made with potatoes or chickpeas. In

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...

, a variation of the dish called ''murgh cholay'' is used.

Morocco

Chickpea butternut ''tagine'' is a variation from Moroccan cuisine made with spices and roasted squash. The dish is served over hot steamed or flavoured couscous.

References

{{Pakistani dishes Indian snack foods Pakistani snack foods North Indian cuisine Indian fast food Pakistani cuisine Punjabi cuisine Chickpea dishes