Chana Aloo: Chickpea and Potato Curry Recipe

Traditionally served together with halwa puri as a brunch menu, this moreish delicious chana aloo is one vegan dish you don’t want to miss. 

Chana Aloo Curry

Chana Aloo curry is such a popular dish among Pakistani cuisines. That it is a must for one to know this simple-but-full-of-flavour food. 

There are many recipes on how to make this Chickpea and Potato curry. 

Having tried it from various restaurants, and numerous homemade ones (made by family and friends), I think the homemade one is the best. 

Because most homemade Chana Aloo curry does not use bicarbonate of soda like the ones from restaurants.

And as for the spices, this curry doesn’t require particular ingredients. It only uses regular items that usually exist in Asian pantries, or in the kitchen that does a lot of Asian cooking. So it is so easy to make this chickpea and potato curry from scratch. 

It’s a no brainer recipe for anyone who wants to make it. 

Various styles of chickpea and potato curry

There are numerous recipes for this type of vegan curry. 

From Indian to Jamaican chickpea and potato curry. From the Caribbean to Pakistani curry. 

All offer deliciousness in their own right.

Now, the recipe I’m sharing with you is rooted in the Pakistani style of chana aloo curry. 

I’ve learned it from my sister-in-law – who has been teaching me all the delicious Pakistani foods. 

Have I told you that she is the best cook when it comes to Pakistani cuisines? 

How to enjoy

This chickpea and potato curry is often served with Halwa Puri for an indulgent breakfast or brunch. Or at happy occasions such as weddings and family gatherings.

But really, you can enjoy it whenever you feel like it.

Often, I make it as a side dish for our daily menu. You can enjoy this curry with other flatbreads such as chapati/ roti, naan bread or even pitta bread. 

Although it goes best with fried-flatbread/ puri (like the one you have with Halwa Puri). 

And I also have it with plain white rice more often than not and find it comforting and simply delicious. 

Key ingredients

Needless to say, you need chickpeas and potatoes for this curry. 

As for the flavouring, this chana aloo recipe uses the usual spices and herbs such as ginger, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli or paprika. 

For the latter one, I deliberately give you choices between chilli and paprika for a reason. 

As a family with two children, I used to swap the chilli with paprika when the kids were younger. This way, the kids can enjoy the curries that I make. 

But as they grow older and can handle spicier foods, I use chillies more often than not. So feel free to use paprika instead. And don’t worry, your curry is gonna be as tasty.

The only different spice that I now put is Kalonji, the black seeds. But this one is optional. You can omit them if you don’t have or don’t fancy using them.

Few other ingredients you need for this curry are tomatoes and tamarind. These two will give your aloo chana a punchy and refreshingly tangy flavour.

You can use three small fresh tomatoes if you like. Or, you can use half a can of tinned tomatoes. 

As for tamarind, you can use a tamarind block and make your own juice by soaking about one inch of tamarind block with a quarter of hot boiling water. 

Sieve it and extract its juice when the tamarind has become soft. But you can use two teaspoons of tamarind paste to save time. 

Canned chickpeas vs dried chickpeas

You can use canned chickpeas. For this recipe, you need two cans of garbanzo beans. 

But if you prefer doing it from scratch, i.e. using dried chickpeas, you only need one cup of dried chickpeas. 

Wash, rinse and soak the pulses in the water overnight. On the following day, you can boil the lentils in a regular pot or in a pressure cooker (to save time) until they are fully cooked.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, you can follow the recipe to make the curry. 

How to make Aloo Chana Curry

Firstly, fry the onion slices and the whole spices until the onions become translucent. 

Secondly, you add minced ginger-garlic and all other spices. 

Thirdly, the tomato goes into the spices, and you cook until you get a nice thick curry sauce with some oil separated from the edges.

Fourthly, you put the chickpeas and tamarind juice/ paste in the sauce, give it a stir and cook further for about five minutes. 

Lastly, add the potatoes and some water, then continue cooking. Until the chickpeas and potatoes are fully cooked and soft.

Top tip: try to mash some of the chickpeas towards the end of your cooking when those lovely pulses are soft. This can enhance the flavour of your Aloo Chana. 

Storing matter

Though it doesn’t take much time to cook this potato and chickpea curry, sometimes we simply don’t have time to do it.

So, to save us cooking on busy days, why don’t you cook this dish in batch and freeze it?

It freezes well for about 2 months. And when you need it, you can always thaw it in the fridge/ refrigerator overnight and reheat it until it is piping hot.

But remember, once you thaw the food, you must not refreeze it.

More Pakistani vegan dishes

Thank you for reading the post. I hope you now want to try the recipe. When you do, it will be great if you could share what you think about this Aloo Chana in the comments below (leave a reply box). 

And please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Last but not least, don’t forget to check out my other Pakistani vegan recipes for more inspiration.

• Mung Bean curry – Pakistani whole mung bean dal.
• Aloo Palak – spinach and potato curry in Pakistani style.
• Aubergine curry – an easy recipe for a vegetarian side dish.
• Kitchari recipe – rice and mung bean rice congee.

Thank you and all the best.