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    Home » Indian recipes » Curries and Lentils

    Curried chana saag | Spinach Chickpeas curry recipe

    4th October 2023 by bhavana bhatia 10 Comments

    607 shares
    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Vegan Chana saag curry or chickpea spinach curry  is a very wholesome dish and a perfect weeknight meal. You can gauge the popularity of this classic indian curry by the amount of takeaways and ready to eat packets in the local supermarket.Instant pot chana masala is also quite a hit these days as everyone is going back to work slowly. Indian chickpea recipe can be made in a traditional pressure cooker or slow cooker too.

    You can pair it with any flat bread be it poori, vegan naan, bhatura or plain basmati rice if you are gluten free. Simple chana saag masala saves the day when there are guests coming home at a short notice. Just use a can of chickpeas for the same recipe. If you want to start eating brown rice, pair it with protein-rich chickpeas or rajma masala (kidney beans). If you cannot make an Indian flatbread, just pair it with homemade buns, Costco's Afghani bread or Turkish bread.

    chana saag vegan
    saag chana recipe
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Related links
    • easy chana saag recipe

    Ingredients

    • Boiled/canned chickpeas

    In case of using dried chickpeas - Soak chickpeas overnight or at least for 4 hours in water for 2 hours in hot water. They swell and double in the size post soaking. If you want you can also use canned chickpeas for this curry. Pressure cook the chickpeas with 3-4 cups of water and bit of salt for 2-3 whistles or in a covered pot, until soft. If you are using organic chickpeas, 2 whistles are enough.

    For instant pot, I would recommend to cook on high of 15 minutes and release the steam after 15 minutes. This would change a bit based on the quality chickpeas you are using.

    Other ingredients are

    • Onions
    • Tomato ,puree/diced tomatoes
    • Ginger paste
    • Garlic paste
    • Curry powder
    • Red chilli powder / paprika
    • Garam masala
    • Salt as per taste
    • Water 
    • Coconut milk (optional)
    • Chopped spinach
    • Oil ( coconut oil/ vegetable oil/ sunflower oil / olive oil)

    refer to recipe card for exact quantities.

    chana saag ingredients

    Instructions

    • In a pan or a pot, heat oil. Add cumin seeds. Add onion with some salt and saute on low/medium heat until brown
    saag chana step 1
    • Cook until the onions turn brown, add ginger and garlic.
    saag chana step 2
    • Add the tomatoes with little salt. Mix well.
    saag chana step 2
    • Continue cooking with little salt, once tomatoes have soften. Add the spices.
    saag chana step 4
    • Continue cooking until the masala has mixed well.
    saag chana step 5
    • Add the chickpeas and mix well.
    saag chana step 6
    • Now, add 2 cups of hot water, Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
    saag chana step 7
    • Add coconut milk to the chickpea curry.
    saag chana step 8
    • Now, add the chopped spinach leaves and turn off the heat. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
    saag chana step 9
    • Serve chane ka saag hot with jeera rice or naan bread.
    saag chana recipe

    Related links

    • Rajma masala
    • Air fryer chickpeas
    • black chickpeas curry
    • Pickled onions
    • Chickpea lentil curry
    saag chana recipe
    Print Recipe
    4.82 from 22 votes

    easy chana saag recipe

    Chana saag recipe is a perfect way to get protein and iron. It tastes even yum the next day. You can eat with bread rice or roti. Learn to make it here
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indian(Punjabi)
    Keyword: chana saag recipe, saag chana recipe
    Servings: 4
    Author: bhavana bhatia

    Equipment

    • pressure cooker
    • pan / pot for cooking curry

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups spinach chopped
    • 3 cups Boiled chickpeas or canned chickpeas (refer notes for dried chickpeas)
    • 2 medium onions diced
    • 1 cup pureed tomatoes / diced tomatoes
    • 2-3 tablespoon oil
    • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
    • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
    • 1 tablespoon curry powder / turmeric powder
    • ½ tablespoon garam masala powder or adjust as per taste
    • ½ tablespoon red chili powder / cayenne pepper / paprika powder adjust as per taste
    • Salt as per taste
    • 2 cups hot water
    • ¼ cup coconut milk optional( it will help to balance spice)

    Instructions

    • In a pan or a pot, heat oil. Add onion with ginger, garlic and some salt and saute on low/medium heat until dark brown. (If you prefer the dark gravy cook as brown as possible. Switch off just before they start to burn.)
    • Add the crushed/pureed tomatoes with little salt.(I have just blended fresh tomatoes here.)
    • Continue cooking with little salt, once tomatoes have soften.
    • Add the spices(curry powder,garam masala and red chilli/paprika powder).
    • Continue cooking until the masala has mixed well.
    • Add chickpeas to curry mix and hot water, Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
    • Add coconut milk to the chickpea curry. You can adjust it according to your taste.
    • Add the chopped spinach leaves and turn off the heat.

    Notes

    Note: If you prefer the dark gravy cook as brown as possible. Switch off just before they start to burn. It is worth the wait trust me!
    For boiling chickpeas :
    Soak chickpeas overnight or at least for 4 hours in water for 2 hours in hot water. They swell and double in the size post soaking. If you want you can also use canned chickpeas for this curry.Pressure cook the chickpeas with 3-4 cups of water and bit of salt for 2-3 whistles or in a covered pot, until soft
    For instant pot, I would recommend to cook on high of 15 minutes and release the steam after 15 minutes. This would change a bit based on the quality chickpeas you are using.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4g

    Substitutions & Variations

    You can also make it vegetarian by adding some ghee or butter in the end. That is strictly optional. Some people even add some paneer, to make chola paneer. If you do not get paneer locally, you may even use halloumi. You may add a combination of baby spinach, mustard greens, collard greens and some fenugreek leaves to garbanzo beans for saag. If you do not have fresh spinach, you may use frozen spinach for the same.

    You can also make it without onions and garlic. Just with some tomato paste. If you like it spicy, add more red chilli powder/ crushed black pepper or increase the green chilies in the recipe. If you like it milder, you may use Kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika. Adjust salt according to your taste. Adding a dash of lemon juice before you serve helps increase the taste.

    If you forgot to soak chana overnight, soak them for an hour or two in hot water. You can also try using canned chickpeas for this recipe.

    Storage

    You can store the chana masala for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tastes even yummier the next day. You can also freeze it for later.

    FAQs

    How long should I soak chole?

    atleast 2-4 hrs

    How do you tell if chickpeas are done?

    If you press a chickpea, it should be soft and mushy.

    what is chana saag?

    Chana saag is a protein rich curry made with cooked chickpeas and leafy greens 
    You can make saag chana as a vegan curry or vegetarian depending on oil or ghee used for tempering.

    What's a good cheap easy side dish to serve with chana masala besides rice and naan?

    You can serve the curry with many other dishes as a chaat or Indian street food.
    Baked samosa
    Aloo tikki
    Buns

    What else can you make from chickpeas?

    Channa sabzi is easy to make. Full of protein too. Chickpeas are so wonderful and versatile. They are a great source of protein. You can make a hummus, falafel,salad and even make a pickle out of it. Boiled chickpeas make a great chaat after adding chopped coriander, onions & tomatoes, dash of fresh lemon juice and green chutney.

     Conclusion: This delicious saag chana curry is a comforting meal for busy weeknights. This easy recipe is one of the all time favorite dishes and most ordered one too from Indian restaurants too. Learn to make it from scratch whether you use electric pressure cooker or large skillet.

    More Curries and Lentils

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      Veg korma recipe | Vegan korma
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      Instant pot Indian vegetarian recipes
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      Indian broccoli curry recipe | Broccoli in masala gravy
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      how to make Frozen Bhindi masala recipe in Air Fryer
    607 shares

    Comments

    1. Khaled says

      April 21, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      I like Indin food thank you

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        April 21, 2022 at 12:51 pm

        Thank you for writing in.
        Warm Regards
        Bhavana

        Reply
    2. Sheila says

      May 22, 2022 at 11:26 pm

      Great recipe! How many cups of dry chickpeas should I soak to yield 3 cups of soaked chickpeas?

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        May 23, 2022 at 12:18 am

        Hi Sheila
        Glad you liked it.
        1 cup of dry chickpeas yields 3 cup soaked chickpeas.

        Warm Regards
        Bhavana

        Reply
    3. Joan says

      June 01, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      I added 1/3 cup tomato paste after the chick pea-curry mix finished cooking. Made for a thicker richer tasting sauce.

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        June 02, 2022 at 11:34 am

        Thanks for trying our recipe. I am glad you liked it.
        That's a great improvisation, will make it next time this way 🙂

        Warm Regards
        Bhavana

        Reply
    4. Mavis says

      June 23, 2022 at 8:09 am

      I am going to make this today so healthy

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        June 24, 2022 at 2:33 am

        Do try this. Let us know how it turned out.

        Cheers!
        Bhavana

        Reply
    5. Elizabeth says

      November 29, 2022 at 12:40 am

      5 stars
      Made this a few times, delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        November 29, 2022 at 3:01 am

        Hi Elizabeth

        Thank you so much for your feedback.

        Cheers!
        Bhavana

        Reply
    4.82 from 22 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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    Hi,I am Bhavana & this is my wonderland of recipes.I have been in IT for 15+ years have always loved writing.My husband Gaurav & I,love to cook, click & host people

    More about me →

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