{"id":6898,"date":"2025-11-12T03:15:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T03:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blossomcoder.com\/forkonaroad\/?post_type=recipes&p=6898"},"modified":"2025-11-12T04:37:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T04:37:47","slug":"banarasi-channa-masalaa","status":"publish","type":"recipes","link":"https:\/\/blossomcoder.com\/forkonaroad\/banarasi-channa-masalaa\/","title":{"rendered":"Banarasi Channa Masala"},"content":{"rendered":"

Banarasi Channa Masala \u2013 Street Food King<\/h3>\n

This recipe comes from a memory, of the many times I shared a meal of channa with my father. It\u2019s an homage to his college town of Banaras, one of the most ancient cities of India, and a street food haven where channa is king.<\/p>\n

The spice blend for this recipe is based on a blend my sister created and is used at her family\u2019s restaurant in our hometown of Dhanbad. I layered on some additional elements that give it the perfect tang and earthy aromas that you would find in a pot of piping hot channa.<\/p>\n

Serve this\u00a0Banarasi Channa Masala<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with hot basmati rice,\u00a0homemade naan<\/span><\/a>, and enjoy the leftovers cold with a crusty bread like I do for lunch.<\/p>\n

Serves 4-6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Soaking Time: 4-6 hrs | Instant Pot\/Pressure Cooker Time: 30 minutes | Stovetop Cooking Time: 55-70 Minutes (if using)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients You\u2019ll Need:
\n<\/strong>
\n1 large onion diced
\n1 tsp. minced garlic
\n1 tbsp. minced ginger + 1\u201d smashed
\n1 cup grated tomatoes, skin discarded (or 1\/2 cup crushed tomatoes)
\n1\u201d in. jalapeno minced (adjust for level of spiciness)
\n2 tbsp. olive oil
\n4-5 cups of water
\n1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
\nSalt to taste
\nChickpeas from the pouch
\nWhole spices from the pouch
\nBlended spices from the pouch
\n1\/2 tbsp. lemon juice for garnish<\/p>\n

Watch Cooking Video \u2013 Coming Soon!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Instant Pot Cooking Directions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Rinse and wash the chickpeas in a bowl, cover with 3 inches of warm\/hot water and soak for at least 4 hours. When done, drain and set aside.<\/li>\n
  2. Peel and dice or grate the onions & tomatoes & mince the garlic, ginger & jalapeno.<\/li>\n
  3. Start the Instant Pot\u2019s\u00a0Saut\u00e9 mode<\/strong>; add the olive oil, when hot, add the whole spices from the kit. Saut\u00e9 the spices for a few seconds until the Afghani cumin sputters.<\/li>\n
  4. Then add the onions, ginger, garlic & jalapeno, stir for a 5-8 minutes let the onions brown on the edges. Add the tomato paste & tomatoes and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, let the tomatoes dry out a bit.<\/li>\n
  5. Add the dry spice blend from the kit and stir-fry another minute, you\u2019ll smell the aroma of the spices as they bloom.<\/li>\n
  6. Add the drained chickpeas into the pot and stir, add 3\u00bd cups of water, salt to taste and scrape any particles into the broth.<\/li>\n
  7. Shut the lid, ensure the valve is closed and\u00a0Pressure Cook<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a030 minutes at Normal mode<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  8. Let the steam release naturally, open the lid when the red valve button is down \u2013 indicating that the pressure is over. Smash a few beans against the pot and turn on the Saut\u00e9 mode to let some of the liquid burn off. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, this will help thicken the sauce, serve with a splash of lemon juice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Serve hot with basmati rice or naan.\u00a0Here\u2019s a recipe for naan.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

    To make this Traditionally (on Stovetop):<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and place in a large pot with 4-5 cups of water along with the smashed piece of ginger and the black cardamom from the bag of whole spices and bring to a boil on medium-high for 55 minutes, as the beans start to soften, stir and set to simmer, add more hot water if needed. At around the 35-minute mark, add salt to season the chickpeas.<\/li>\n
    2. While the chickpeas are cooking, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the Afghani cumin from the whole spice pouch, and stir-fry for a few seconds until the seeds sputter; turn the heat to medium & add the onions, ginger, garlic & jalapeno, stir for a 5-8 minutes let the onions brown. Add the tomato paste & tomatoes and stir-fry for another 5 minutes, let the tomatoes dry out.<\/li>\n
    3. Add the dry spice blend and stir-fry another 3 minutes, you\u2019ll smell the aroma of the spices as they bloom.<\/li>\n
    4. Scoop the cooked chickpeas into the pan along with a cup of the cooking liquid. Taste and adjust the seasoning.<\/li>\n
    5. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, smash a few beans against the pot with the back of your spoon, this will help thicken the sauce, or add more of the cooking liquid if you prefer more sauce. Serve with a splash of lemon juice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Banarasi Channa Masala \u2013 Street Food King This recipe comes from a memory, of the many times I shared a meal of channa with my father. It\u2019s an homage to his college town of Banaras, one of the most ancient cities of India, and a street food haven where channa is king. The spice blend […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"recipe_category":[],"recipe_tag":[],"class_list":["post-6898","recipes","type-recipes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nBanarasi Channa Masala - forkonaroad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blossomcoder.com\/forkonaroad\/banarasi-channa-masalaa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Banarasi Channa Masala - forkonaroad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Banarasi Channa Masala \u2013 Street Food King This recipe comes from a memory, of the many times I shared a meal of channa with my father. It\u2019s an homage to his college town of Banaras, one of the most ancient cities of India, and a street food haven where channa is king. 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