Vegan Chickpea and Potato Curry (Chana Aloo Masala)
One of my favorite curries to make is this vegan chana aloo masala, otherwise known as Indian chickpea and potato curry.
If you like a good tomato-based curry that’s packed with warming spices, bright herbs, and a kick of chili, then this is the recipe for you.
Whether you’re throwing it together for a weeknight dinner or pairing it with other Indian dishes such as my Vegan Palak Paneer or the ever-popular Cauliflower Tikka Masala for a family-style dinner party, this chickpea and potato curry is always a winner.
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s plant-based, super delicious, and easy to make.
- It features homemade curry paste, which makes this dish taste like it came straight from your favorite Indian restaurant.
- It feeds a crowd and reheats well, making it ideal for weekly meal prep or dinner parties.
Like where I’m heading with this? Let’s dive in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The best thing about this curry (other than how delicious it is), is that you probably have most of the ingredients in your spice cabinet, pantry, and refrigerator.
To make the chickpea and potato curry, you’ll need:
- Oil. I prefer coconut oil, but use what you have on hand.
- Jalapeño. Leave the seeds in for extra heat, or remove them for a milder vegan curry.
- Onion. Use one large onion or two smaller onions.
- Tomato paste + canned tomato sauce. The tomato paste adds depth and richness to the curry and tricks your tastebuds into thinking it simmered on the stove for hours, not just 30 minutes.
- Vegetable stock. You’ll need a full liter (one 32 oz. carton) of stock to make this saucy, spiced Indian chickpea and potato curry.
- Spices. The curry paste does most of the heavy lifting, flavor-wise, but go ahead and season the curry with a couple of bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper.
- Potatoes. Choose a waxy potato variety, such as red potatoes or baby potatoes.
- Chickpeas. Drain and rinse three cans of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) before adding them to the pot.
- Lemon juice. Adds a pop of brightness and brings everything together.
- Agave nectar. Swap with pure maple syrup or granulated sugar, if needed.
To make the homemade curry paste, you’ll need:
- Cardamom pods
- Whole cloves
- Coriander seeds
- Star anise
- Cumin seeds
- Whole black peppercorns
- Ground cinnamon
- Chili flakes
- Garam masala
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh turmeric
There are a lot of herbs and spices going on in this curry, which gives it a warming, deeply satisfying flavor.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea and Potato Curry
This recipe has a few parts to it, but trust me when I say it’s easy to prepare.
If making Indian curry paste from scratch feels intimidating, just follow these simple steps and restaurant-quality chana aloo masala is less than an hour from being in your belly!
- Make the curry paste. I like to toast any whole spices I have and use my mortar and pestle to grind them into a paste, along with any pre-ground spices, and fresh ingredients such as ginger and garlic. This process takes maybe 5 minutes in total but delivers big on flavor.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat oil in a pot, and sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
- Add the curry paste and tomato paste. Stir in your curry paste and fry off until fragrant. Next, stir in the tomato paste, and continue stirring for a few minutes, until paste has cooked down.
- Stir in the potatoes. Coat them with the curry paste (this helps them begin to absorb the flavors).
- Add the spices, vegetable stock, and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Finish the curry. Stir in the chickpeas, lemon juice, agave, and more salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish and serve. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro (and maybe top with some unsweetened coconut yogurt).
Tips for Recipe Success
- Don’t keep whole spices on hand? Using a mortar and pestle to make a curry paste beforehand will give your Indian chickpea and potato curry more depth of flavor. And because it only takes a few extra minutes, I think it’s worth it. However, you can skip this step if you wish; simply use ground spices instead (I detailed how you can do this in the recipe notes below).
- Garam masala is a must. Garam masala is a spice blend from Northern India, and it’s absolutely critical that you use it in this recipe. If your omit the garam masala, your curry won’t achieve the proper flavor profile!
- Want to make this curry completely from scratch? If you want to go the extra mile and soak your chickpeas, make your own vegetable stock, et cetera, be my guest!
- Season appropriately. You may need a decent amount of salt to bring out the flavors of the potatoes, chickpeas, and tomatoes.
Into Vegan Indian Recipes? Check These Out!
Vegan Chickpea and Potato Curry (Chana Aloo Masala)
Craving an Indian-style curry for dinner? This vegan chickpea and potato curry is full of flavorful spices, super healthy, and easy to make. Also known as Chana Aloo Masala, this tomato-based curry incorporates the flavors of cumin, cinnamon, clove, star anis, cilantro, and more.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
To make the curry paste:
- 3 whole cardamom pods
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ star anis ((break one star in half))
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp whole black pepper
- 1 tbsp garam masala (pre-ground spice blend)
- ½ tsp cinnamon (pre-ground )
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric (grated)
To make the Chana Aloo Masala:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 jalapeño (diced)
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 3 ½ cups canned tomato sauce ((28 oz. or 800 g. can) )
- 1 carton vegetable stock ((32 oz. or 1 L. carton))
- 2 bay leaves (dried)
- 1 cinnamon stick (lightly crushed)
- 5 medium potatoes (peeled, cut into bite-size pieces)
- 3 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans (liquid drained (15 oz. or 425 g. can))
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
To make the curry paste:
- In a pan, toast all whole spices and seeds on low heat until fragrant, agitating the pan regularly.
- Add all curry paste ingredients (whole spices, ground spices, garlic, ginger, turmeric) into a mortar and pestle. Grind until you have reached a fine consistency. This should take about 3 minutes.
To make the Chana Aloo Masala:
- Over the stove’s medium heat setting, heat coconut oil in a large pot. Add in onion and jalapeño, and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add in curry paste, stirring constantly until fragrant. Add in tomato paste, and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in potatoes, coating them with the contents of the pot. Allow to absorb the flavors for about 2 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil, turn the stove down to medium-low heat, and allow to simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are nearly cooked through.
- Stir in chickpeas, lemon juice, agave nectar, freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and salt to taste. Note: you may need a decent amount of salt to properly flavor the potatoes, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are totally cooked through.
- Serve over basmati rice and top with cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Click here to purchase garam masala on Amazon. This Northern Indian spice blend is crucial to Chana Aloo Masala. Depending on where you live, you may not be able to find this in your local grocery store.
If you don’t have whole spices, simply use dried whole spices and add them into the pot at the same step as you would the curry paste. Here are some rough guesses for dried powdered spices. (Note: I have not actually measured nor tested this.):
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp cloves powder
- 1/4 star anis powder
- 1 tsp cilantro/coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
