This Vegan Chana Masala is brimming with flavor! The warm, comforting spices will rouse your taste buds and persuade you to include this meal in your regular rotation. For more Indian-inspired flavors, check out our Aloo Gobi and Red Lentil Dal.
This recipe makes an excellent weekend dinner or meal-prep dish to portion out and eat later. Also, it's gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free, low-fat, and soy-free.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Whole Food, Plant-Based Goodness: Packed with whole plant food ingredients like chickpeas, spinach, and tomatoes for a hearty, oil-free, gluten-free, low-fat, high-protein, and satisfying meal. For more high-protein meals, you may also like our chickpea tempeh bowl.
- Packed with Flavor: The dish is infused with a blend of warm, comforting spices including cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and a hint of cardamom.
- Nutrient-Boost: While traditional chana masala doesn't include spinach, this version incorporates chopped baby spinach (or bok choy), boosting the dish's vitamin K, vitamin C, and beta-carotene content without compromising flavor.
- Daniel Fast Approved: This recipe is made with unprocessed foods that are compliant with the Daniel Fast.
What You Need to Make This Vegan Chana Masala
- Chickpeas: Add a hearty, chewy bite that makes the dish feel substantial and satisfying. A plant-based protein powerhouse, chickpeas are loaded with fiber, folate, iron, and manganese. They help with satiety, blood sugar regulation, and gut health. Check out how to make dried beans for cooking chickpeas from scratch.
- Diced Tomatoes: Creates the saucy base that brings everything together, turning the spices and aromatics into a cohesive, flavorful dish. Packed with vitamin C, potassium, folate, and the antioxidant lycopene, which is linked to reduced inflammation and heart health.
- Spinach (or Bok Choy): Rich in vitamin K, vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. It’s a nutrient-dense green that supports immune health and bone strength.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.
How to Prepare
Step 1: Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add chopped onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to brown.
Step 2: Add minced garlic, chopped jalapeno, grated ginger root, and dry spices.
Step 3: Stir to incorporate and allow the heat to bring out the flavors. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add chickpeas, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, coconut aminos, and water. Stir well to incorporate.
Step 5: Bring to a gentle boil.
Step 6: Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Step 8: Stir in chopped spinach and cilantro. Turn off the heat and allow the spinach to wilt. Add a little fresh lemon juice, salt to taste, and dig in!
Enjoy this delicious vegan chana masala with brown rice or cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
We'll also send you other yummy recipes. No worries! You can unsubscribe at any time. 💙
Cook This Vegan Chana Masala with Me
This recipe is a modified version of the chana masala from the Minimalist Baker.
Recipe FAQs
Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This meal makes a great meal prep option in that you can portion out servings and freeze them in freezer-safe individual containers for up to two months.
Chana masala, also called chole masala, means small chickpeas (chana) in a mixed spice (masala) sauce. Chana masala originated in Northern India. Chole is the larger chickpea, whereas chana is the smaller.
The sauce is the dominant flavor in chana masala. It can best be described as a spicy tomato-based sauce with warm, fragrant spices. The heat level of spiciness in this recipe can be adjusted by incorporating the jalapeno. By adding the seeds from the jalapeno, you'll make it more spicy hot.
Tikka masala has a creamy tomato sauce that includes cream, yogurt, or coconut milk. It's more buttery and decadent than chana masala, which is more tomato-forward with a thicker, chunkier, and more rustic feel. Tikka masala may include an animal-based protein, whereas chana masala is always made with chickpeas.
This easy Vegan Chana Masala is proof that comfort food can be both nourishing and full of flavor. Other healthy comfort dishes to check out include our veggie chili, split mung beans, and mushroom barley soup.
With hearty chickpeas, nutrient-packed greens, and a rich, spiced tomato base, this dish delivers on taste and health. Whether you're meal prepping for the week or craving a cozy, plant-powered dinner, this recipe is a go-to favorite that satisfies every time.
Other Chickpea Recipes to Check Out
If you tried this Vegan Chana Masala or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below! We love to get your feedback for improvement.
Vegan Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced or grated
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 pinch ground cardamom (optional)
- salt to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted or regular
- 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (no salt added or low sodium), drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked)
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add chopped onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to brown.
- Add minced garlic, chopped jalapeno, grated ginger root, and dry spices. Stir to incorporate, and allow the heat to bring out the flavors of the seasonings for 1 minute. Your kitchen should smell amazing at this point!
- Add chickpeas, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, coconut aminos, and water. Stir well to incorporate and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Stir in chopped spinach and cilantro. Turn off the heat and allow the spinach to wilt. Add a little fresh lemon juice, salt to taste, and dig in!
Notes
- Leftovers/Meal Prep: Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To meal prep for the freezer, portion out servings and freeze them in freezer-safe individual containers for up to two months.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy this easy vegan chana masala with a side of brown rice, or for a lower-carb option, try our cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
Gigi & Sersie says
Delicious and easy to make. Love this dish with brown rice or pita bread. Fresh chopped cilantro is a must!
melissa says
Delicious, and fairly easy to make despite the number of ingredients. Will be making this again very soon.
Gigi & Sersie says
So glad you enjoyed it. Yes the Indian spices are fantastic.