Chana Palak (Palak Chole)
This chana palak recipe is a protein-packed, healthy, and delicious curry made with boiled chickpeas simmered in flavorful spinach gravy. This palak chole makes a hearty, comforting meal when served with hot steamed basmati rice or paratha.
❤️ You’ll Love This Chana Palak Recipe
- Taste: Medium spicy (adjustable) and super flavorful with minimal spice powders.
- Texture: Slightly creamy (thanks to cashews), thick spinach gravy with soft, perfectly cooked chickpeas.
Quick and easy to make: If you pre-plan and soak the dry chickpeas ahead of time then this chana palak recipe comes together in just 40 minutes (You’ll need to cook boil chana and make gravy both tasks simultaneously.)
Leftovers make a great next-day lunch. I would make a double batch of chana palak for the following day. Such a time saver!
Freezer-friendly: You can make a large batch of this palak chole and freeze it in portions for later busy days for a quick meal. You just have to cook the rice – follow this instant pot basmati rice method. Or simply use ready-made paratha or naan.
🧾 Ingredient Notes For Palak Chole
- Chickpeas (White kabuli chana): I prefer to soak my dry chickpeas and boil them at home instead of buying a can of chickpeas. Try my instant pot chickpeas method, it’s cost-effective and you can prep in bulk.
- Spinach: It is hard to find Indian-style desi spinach leaves here in the USA. So I mostly use the baby spinach or sometimes I get regular spinach here in Costco. If you are using desi palak then do not use the stalk (stems, dandiya) which makes the gravy bitter and tastes metallic.
- Green chilies: This is the only ingredient that provides a spicy taste and heat to the dish. So use it accordingly. if you like spicy add more. If you want a mild palak chole then use fewer chilies.
- Tomato: I prefer to use Roma or plum tomatoes for Indian cooking.
- Onion: I recommend using red onion for Indian cooking. But if you have white or yellow onion on hand then use that, no need for a special grocery trip.
- Ginger Garlic: I have used freshly grated ginger garlic here. You can crush them in a mortar and pestle or a wet jar of a spice grinder. Or simply use readymade ginger garlic paste.
- Garam masala: Use store-bought garam masala or make it at home. Follow my garam masala recipe.
- Kasoori methi: Always crush kasoori methi between your palm before adding it to release its flavor and aroma. Sometimes kasoori methi catches moisture, in that case, microwave it for a few seconds, cool down, and crush.
- Cashew powder: To get a slightly creamy texture, I have added cashew powder and it makes the gravy with a slightly grainy texture. If you want smooth gravy then add cashew paste.
👩🍳 How To Make Chana Palak Recipe? (Pics)
Prep (Cook Chickpeas & Make Paste):
1) Wash the dried chickpeas under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore. Then soak in enough water (2 inches above) for at least 8 hours or overnight. Did you forget to soak ahead of time? No worries check out my quick soaking method in the notes below.
2) Now discard the soaking water, and take soaked chana and freshwater in the pressure cooker. Add a pinch of salt.
3) Cover the cooker with the lid, put the weight on, and cook for 1 whistle on HIGH + 20 minutes On LOW. Let the pressure go down naturally, then open the lid. Drain the boiling water and save it for later to make gravy.
– Cook in instant pot: takes about 10-15 minutes (see the details here – Instant pot chickpeas)
4) To blanch spinach, Bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Keep this pot on another stove while onions are cooking as water takes time to get to a boil. Add spinach leaves and green chilies. Push the leaves in the water using a spatula. Let it cook for exactly 4 minutes.
5) Drain the water and add cooked spinach to ice-cold water. Or simply run under the cold water to stop the cooking process. This ensures the spinach keeps its bright green color intact.
6) First, make a powder from cashew nuts and remove it to a bowl. Next, make a smooth puree from this blanched spinach with chilies. Also, prepare the tomato puree.
Making Chana Palak Recipe (Palak Chole):
1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, let them sizzle a bit.
2) Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until the onion turns light brown in color and becomes soft.
3) Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
4) Add prepared tomato puree. Let it comes to a simmer.
5) Add coriander powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi.
6) Mix and cook until all the moisture evaporates from the tomato puree.
7) Add prepared spinach puree and remaining salt. Mix and let it come to a simmer. Do not let it boil for longer otherwise, it loses its green color.
8) Add cashew nut powder and mix.
9) Add drained, boiled chickpeas, plus some water to adjust the gravy consistency.
10) Mix and bring the mixture to a simmer and turn off the stove right away. Chana palak is ready to serve.
💭 Expert Tips For Chana Palak
Quick Soaking Method for chickpeas: Take washed chana and plenty of water in a saucepan. Turn the heat on HIGH and let it come to a boil and then continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then turn off the stove. Cover the pan with the lid and let it rest for 1 hour. When you take a look at chana after 1 hour, they will be the same as overnight soaked.
How to keep spinach gravy vibrant green?
- Spinach must be blanched using the RIGHT method. Please follow the exact time and method shown.
- Do not simmer the gravy for a longer period of time. As it keeps simmering, gravy will start losing its green color.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- In the refrigerator, chana palak can be stored for 2 days in an airtight container.
- In the freezer, palak chole stays good for up to 2-3 months. I like to freeze the gravy only in silicone cupcake molds. So using this spinach gravy I can make many other curries. E.g. add boiled potatoes for aloo palak, paneer for palak paneer. You can add sauteed mushrooms or mixed vegetables too.
- Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve chana palak with paratha or naan.
- This palak chole can be served with jeera rice or plain rice.
- A side of Indian onion salad, and a glass of salted lassi will complete the meal.
Check Out Other Chickpea Recipes
Did you try this chana palak recipe (palak chole)? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
Chana Palak Recipe (Palak Chole)
US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Dried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 5-6 cups Spinach (palak), washed, palak
- 3-4 Green chilies
- 5 cups Water, For blanching spinach and tomato
- 1 medium Tomato
For Gravy:
- ¼ cup Cashew nuts, powdered
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ of medium or ½ cup Red onion, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
Soak & Boil Chickpeas:
- Wash the dried chickpeas under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore.
- Then soak in enough water (2 inches above) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Now discard the soaking water, and take soaked chana, salt, and freshwater in the pressure cooker.
- Cover the cooker with the lid, put the weight on, and cook for 1 whistle on HIGH + 20 minutes On LOW.Instant pot: Manual 15 minutes
- While it is pressure cooking, start blanching spinach, rest of the prep, and start making gravy.
- Let the pressure go down naturally, then open the lid. Drain the boiling water and save it for later to make gravy.
Blanch Spinach & Make Pastes:
- Bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Keep this pot on another stove while onions are cooking as water takes time to get to a boil. Add spinach leaves and green chilies. Push the leaves in the water using a spatula. Let it cook for exactly 4 minutes.
- Drain the water and add cooked spinach to ice-cold water. Or simply run under the cold water to stop the cooking process. This ensures the spinach keeps its bright green color intact.
- First, make a powder from cashew nuts and remove it to a bowl. Next, make a smooth puree from this blanched spinach with chilies. Also, prepare the tomato puree.
Making Chana Palak Recipe (Palak Chole):
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, let them sizzle a bit.
- Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until the onion turns light brown in color and becomes soft.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
- Add prepared tomato puree. Let it comes to a simmer.
- Add coriander powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi. Mix and cook until all the moisture evaporates from the tomato puree.
- Add prepared spinach puree and remaining salt. Mix and let it come to a simmer. Do not let it boil for longer otherwise, it loses its green color.
- Add cashew nut powder and mix.
- Add drained, boiled chickpeas, plus some water to adjust the gravy consistency.
- Mix and bring the mixture to a simmer and turn off the stove right away. Chana palak is ready to serve.
Notes
- Spinach must be blanched using the RIGHT method. Please follow the exact time and method shown.
- Do not simmer the gravy for a longer period of time. As it keeps simmering, the gravy will start losing its green color.
So good. We really enjoyed it! Thanks.
glad to know.
Thank you for the review
Hi, I cooked spinach for about 4-5 minutes, the cookie remained good but the gravy had a lot of raw spinach taste and smell… Didn’t come out well😢 I should have thoroughly cooked spinach?
Sorry I meant the colour remained well**
The spinach should get cooked well Because we are blanching and then the gravy is simmered for around 5 minutes as well. I guess this is enough time.
Did you simmer/boil the gravy for sometime?