Curried chana saag | Spinach Chickpeas curry 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.

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.

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

• Cook until the onions turn brown, add ginger and garlic.

• Add the tomatoes with little salt. Mix well.

• Continue cooking with little salt, once tomatoes have soften. Add the spices.

• Continue cooking until the masala has mixed well.

• Add the chickpeas and mix well.

• Now, add 2 cups of hot water, Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

• Add coconut milk to the chickpea curry.

• Now, add the chopped spinach leaves and turn off the heat. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.

• Serve chane ka saag hot with jeera rice or naan bread.

Related links

• Rajma masala
• Air fryer chickpeas
• black chickpeas curry
• Pickled onions
• Chickpea lentil curry
  
  For a complete, protein-rich meal, you can pair this chana saag with my comforting Vegan Lentil Soup.

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.

For another wholesome protein-rich dish, you can also try my Rajma Chawal, a classic comfort meal that pairs beautifully with Indian vegetarian curries.

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

 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.