The BEST Chana paneer masala recipe! It’s incredibly flavorful thanks to vibrant, slightly creamy, and spicy onion-tomato gravy with boiled chickpeas and soft paneer. A must-try chole paneer recipe for chickpea lovers!
Jump to:
❤️ About This Chana Paneer Recipe
Taste & Texture:
- Medium spicy (Adjustable)
- A hint of creaminess (thanks to heavy whipping cream)
- Balanced flavors (meaning not too tangy, not too sweet)
- Soft & succulent paneer pieces
- Perfectly cooked, soft chickpeas
Makes a filling, comfort food: When this chole paneer is served with a bowl of rice or any Indian bread, it makes a healthy, tummy-filling meal.
This chana paneer masala makes the perfect weeknight dinner. Leftovers make next-day lunch. Such a time saver!
🧾 Ingredient Notes
To make this chana paneer recipe, you’ll need basic and mostly Indian pantry staple ingredients.
- Chickpeas: I always prefer to use dry chickpeas (that I soak overnight and boil in a pressure cooker - Instant pot). But of course, you can use canned chickpeas instead. And that will cut down some prep time and cook time.
- Paneer: It is available in the frozen section or the dairy section of Indian grocery stores. Occasionally I make homemade paneer, but for convenience, I mostly use store-bought.
- TIP: Keep the paneer cubes in warm water until you are ready to use them. This way paneer absorbs some water and becomes soft. Skip this if using a homemade one.
- Whole spices & Teabag: cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, and teabag are added while boiling the chana. The spices add a nice aromatic flavor to the chickpeas, while teabag makes them darker in color.
- Red onions: Please use red onions (Yellow or white won’t add that nice flavor in Indian curry recipes).
- Ginger Garlic: I have freshly grated ginger, and garlic here. You can use readymade ginger garlic paste here.
- Tomatoes: Always use ripe tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes make the gravy sour.
- TIP: When it comes to Indian gravy dishes, I highly recommend using Roma tomatoes. Stay away from the beefsteaks or wine-ripe tomatoes that make sour gravy.
- Spice powders: You’ll need basics like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
- Amchur (Dried mango powder): It adds a nice tang to this chana paneer recipe.
- Kasoori methi: Always crush kasoori methi between your palm before adding it to the gravy to release its flavor and aroma.
- TIP: Sometimes because of moisture or humid weather, kasoori methi gets soft and doesn’t crush. If so toast kasoori methi in the microwave or in the pan on the stovetop for a few minutes. Let it cool down completely and now you can crush it easily.
- Garam masala: You can use homemade garam masala or ready-made one. Always add garam masala at the end to retain its flavor and aroma.
- Heavy whipping cream: Here in the USA, I use heavy whipping cream (which has 35-40% fat content). In India, my mom uses the Amul fresh cream and it gives a good result. Or you can use malai that is collected from the top of the boiled milk. If using that then just add a splash of milk in malai and whisk it till smooth and runny, then add in the recipe.
👩🍳 How To Make Chana Paneer Recipe? (Pics)
Soaking, Boiling Chickpeas:
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.
2) 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.
3) Now discard the soaking water, and take soaked chana and freshwater in the pressure cooker. Add whole spices (cinnamon, black cardamoms) and teabag.
4) 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. Discard the tea bag and spices.
- Cook in instant pot: takes about 10-15 minutes (see the details here - Instant pot chickpeas)
Making Chana Paneer (Chole Paneer Recipe):
1, 2) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onions and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until they turn soft and translucent or light pink in color.
3. 4) Then add ginger, garlic paste. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
5) Add pureed tomato and slit green chili.
6, 7) While it is simmering, it may splutter a lot, so partially cover it with a lid and continue cooking. Do stir in between to make sure that gravy is not sticking to the pan.
8) Cook until most of the moisture from the puree evaporates and becomes a thick paste.
9, 10) Add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Mix and cook for a minute. You’ll see the oil is oozing out from the sides.
11) Add boiled chana (along with its boiling water). Note: If the boiled chickpeas have too much water then do not add all. Just add enough to make a gravy consistency.
12) Mix everything well and let it simmer for 7-8 minutes so the chole has enough time to absorb the masala flavor.
13) Add garam masala, amchur, and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.
14) Add cubed paneer and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
15) Add heavy whipping cream and cook until the mixture starts simmering again.
16) Turn off the stove and lastly garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and your chana paneer is ready to serve.
💭 Expert Tips For Chana Paneer Recipe
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.
If you are using canned chickpeas, then no need to pressure cook them. But you need to rinse canned chickpeas. Also, the whole spices we added in the pressure cooker (skip the teabag), add those into the hot oil and then add onions and continue.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- Chana paneer tastes even better the next day as the spices have time to mingle and develop an intense flavor. So always make a double or triple batch and store leftovers.
- In the refrigerator, chana paneer stays good for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- In the freezer, chole paneer stays good for up to 3 months in a freeze-safe container. I recommend freezing in small portions and defrost as needed.
🍽 Serving Ideas For Chole Paneer
- Meal idea 1: Serve chana paneer with plain rice or jeera rice. Have kachumber salad or Indian onion salad and a glass of chaas on the side to make a complete meal.
- Meal idea 2: Enjoy chana paneer with any Indian bread like paratha, roti, poori with a side of mango pickle or Indian onion salad (aka pyaaz laccha). You can have it with garlic naan too but naan is not an everyday kind of bread. It is eaten on a special occasion or once in a while only.
Check Out Other Chickpea Recipes
Did you try this chana paneer recipe (Chole paneer)? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Chana Paneer Recipe (Chole Paneer)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
- 3 cups Water
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Black cardamom
- 3 Green cardamoms
- 1 Tea bag
- 200 grams Paneer 3.5 oz or 1 ½ cups cut into small cubes
- 4 tablespoons Oil
- 1 cup Red onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 3 medium Tomato pureed ~ 2 cups
- 2 Green chili slit
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Amchur powder (Dried mango powder)
- 3 teaspoons Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Soaking, Boiling 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. Did you forget to soak ahead of time? No worries check out my quick soaking method in the notes below.
- Now discard the soaking water, take soaked chana and freshwater in the pressure cooker. Add whole spices (cinnamon, black cardamoms) and teabag.
- 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. Discard the tea bag and spices. Cook in instant pot: takes about 10-15 minutes
Making Chana Paneer (Chole Paneer Recipe):
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onions and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until they turn soft and translucent or light pink in color.
- Then add ginger, garlic paste. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add pureed tomato and slit green chili. While it is simmering, it may splutter a lot, so partially cover it with a lid and continue cooking. Do stir in between to make sure that gravy is not sticking to the pan. Cook until most of the moisture from the puree evaporates and becomes a thick paste.
- Add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Mix and cook for a minute. You’ll see the oil is oozing out from the sides.
- Add boiled chana (along with its boiling water). Note: If the boiled chickpeas have too much water then do not add all. Just add enough to make a gravy consistency.
- Mix everything well and let it simmer for 7-8 minutes so chole has enough time to absorb the masala flavor.
- Add garam masala, amchur, and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.
- Add cubed paneer and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add heavy whipping cream and cook until the mixture starts simmering again.
- Turn off the stove and lastly garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and your chana paneer is ready to serve.
Mirandamom
Excellent dish. There’s a little something special in this gravy— maybe it’s the black cardamom..?
Kanan Patel
could be black cardamom. It has unique smokey aroma.