A simple potato and chickpea curry that is moreish and satisfying and perfect for the days when time is tight, but you don't want to compromise on flavour. Delicious the day of, but even better after, great for weeknights or meal prep!
🔍 Quick Look: Aloo Chana Recipe | Pakistani Aloo Chole with Potatoes & Chickpeas
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 2-4
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Key to Success: Adjusting the consistency and then the seasoning for that perfect for you balance!
"This turned out so good and it was easy to make! Thank you for sharing!- S"
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Aloo Chana Recipe | Pakistani Aloo Chole with Potatoes & Chickpeas
- What is Aloo Cholay?
- Why I make this ALL the time ( and you should too!)
- Ingredients: What makes this dish sing
- How to Make Aloo Chana: A Step by Step Guide
- Fellow Chana (Chickpea Fan? YAY!
- Most Asked Chana Aloo Curry Questions
- What do I serve with Aloo Chana?
- Aloo Chana Masala or Aloo Chole Recipe (Potatoes & Chickpea Curry)
- Comments
What is Aloo Cholay?
This Aloo Chana or Cholay Aloo is a Pakistani and Indian potato and chickpeas dish which leans towards a curry or salan in both flavours and technique. It is like a chana masala but bolstered with creamy potatoes. The classic onion tomato base is easy and familiar and it's subtle flavour notes (hello nigella seeds!) elevate it in a quick easy way. It is pantry friendly and incredibly wholesome.
If you are looking for the classic Pakistani nashta version then that's right over here.
Why I make this ALL the time ( and you should too!)
- It's pantry friendly meaning I usually have the ingredients!
- It's a great meatless dish that still feels wholesome and filling
- It comes together quick and a chunk of the cook time is hands off
- It is easily customizable so it's been with us from the toddler years to the teen years without skipping a beat
- It keeps well so you'll have leftovers you look forward to!
Ingredients: What makes this dish sing
Simple ingredients right? Here are the three I think are SO key in getting this to be wipe-your-plate-clean good!
- Chickpeas - I really love the smaller south asian variety of chickpeas. canned here for convenience but if you prep your own more power to you. That said I don't always have the desi variety handy and so I use a small pinch of baking soda to help the heftier ones along and they turn out beautifully tender and YUM.
- Nigella seeds - there is an incredible savory umami like quality that their flavour brings to any dish so they are a must here IMHO.
- Potatoes - the creaminess of yellow fleshed or yukon gold potatoes will forever have my heart.
How to Make Aloo Chana: A Step by Step Guide
Before you start here are my favorite time saving tips for the comfortable cook:
- Preheat your pan on medium heat and then chop your onions
- Chop your tomatoes while the onions brown
- Chop your potatoes and rinse your chickpeas while the tomato masala cooks down.
- Heat the seeds and whole spices in a pan until aromatic.
2. Add your onions and saute until the edges on at least half turn amber.
3. In with your ginger and garlic for a quick saute
4. Now add your spices and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add your tomatoes and saute until they look like this
6. Now add in your chickpeas, potatoes and water and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Adjust consistency, seasoning, garnish, and serve!
Fellow Chana (Chickpea Fan? YAY!
We are chickpeas afficianados around here and if you are too then here are some other options!
- Chole for Poori - similar to this dish but sans potatoes and tomatoes resulting in a breakfast dish that has punchy flavours but less depth than this cholay aloo recipe. The original recipe for this iteration also lived on this post, but since it had it's own fan following it has it's own home 🙂
- Our easy Chana Chaat - a mix and serve recipe that is lovely but not necessarily a traditional lunch or dinner recipe.
- Chana Pulao with beautiful ginger notes
- Murgh Cholay or Chicken Chana, an incredibly satisfying chicken and chickpea curry.
Most Asked Chana Aloo Curry Questions
While nothing beats a stovetop reheat you can absolutely microwave these for convenience, just remember to add a splash of hot water before doing so if it's thickened!
Unfortunately not! They don't do the same thing here, but if you have the time then simply simmer the chickpeas longer to soften them.
While you can certainly freeze this dish the potatoes can become a little chalky on the thaw. Nothing deal breaking, but just an important note to know.
For a milder curry halve the chili powder or use kashmiri chili powder. For spicier I would add another ½-1 tsp of chili flakes early on and a generous spoon of garam masala at the end!
What do I serve with Aloo Chana?
This dish is absolutely lovely on it's own, but I hear you on the menu building so let's go!
Tried this recipe? Please rate it below and if you make it then tag me on instagram @flourandspiceblog - I'd love to see your recreation!
Aloo Chana Masala or Aloo Chole Recipe (Potatoes & Chickpea Curry)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (from one 540ml can)
- 1 cup potatoes cut into ½ cm thick pieces 130-150g, 2 small or 1 big
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tomatoes finely diced 120-140g or 1.5 cup-ish
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 4 black peppers
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 inch ginger (grated) or 2 tsp ginger paste
- 4 cloves garlic crushed or 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 ½ - 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda (optional, see notes!)
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- ½-1 tsp garam masala (optional)
- as many green chillies as you can eat - I used 4-5 thinly sliced
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large saucepan or wok on medium high heat and add cumin seeds, cloves, peppers, and kalonji. The seeds will sputter and smell amazing
- Add onions and fry till the edges are caramelly but not brown.
- Now add the ginger and garlic, stir for a minute then add the rest of your dry spices i.e. coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Saute for 30 seconds then throw in the chopped tomatoes, cook till 'bhunn' i.e masalas form a cohesive paste and oil rises above them.tip: to make this faster simply cover the pan, keeping it on med-high heat, for 2 minutes.
- Now add your chickpeas, potatoes. Stir well, then add one cup of hot water and cover your pan. Bring the mixture to a boil then let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
- Mash the potatoes and chickpeas slightly with the back of a large spoon to create a thicker gravy. Adjust consistency for your liking. Taste for SALT - you may need to add more.
- Then top with cilantro, chillies, garam masala if you wish, and serve with plain yoghurt, achar and hot roti or paratha. Yum.
Notes
- petite south asian chickpeas have the best flavour or texture (as do any that are prepped at home), but if the sturdier standard canned ones are all you can find then simply add a very small pinch of baking soda in with the chickpeas to help them tenderize and help the spice flavour the chickpeas.
- serves 2-3 as a main and 4 as a side!
- if your can has less than 2 cups do not worry about it, you will still end up with a delicious dish!
Sonia N says
Hi! I saw this on your weeknight Pakistani series on my way back from work and made it as soon as I got home. It was so quick and tasty! Thank you for rescuing my day!
Sarah Mir says
Absolutely my pleasure Sonia! Glad you enjoyed it!
Fatima says
Excellent recipe
Sarah Mir says
thank you so much!
Purvez says
Hahaha you sent me into a PANIC!!
Thanks VERY VERY MUCH for the revised link. Phew!!
Purvez says
HEEELP What have you done with the Breakfast version instructions!!?
It's the ONLY one I ever make.
Ughh!! 😡😡
Sarah Mir says
Hi there! They're over here https://www.flourandspiceblog.com/puri-chole-nashta-recipe/
When I first wrote this recipe I didn't have a separate post for it! Happy Cooking!
Purvez says
Hahaha you sent me into a PANIC!!
Thanks VERY VERY MUCH for the revised link. Phew!!
Purvez says
Perhaps post the link to the Breakfast version inside this post where you mention the Breakfast version.
Sarah Mir says
I have 🙂
Sohnia says
This turned out so good and it was easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
Kay says
Made this today and it was good! I found it to be a bit overly spiced! I would make again but just reduce the quantities of spices a bit. Also, may I suggest putting the ingredients list in order of use? It would make the recipe a bit easier to follow.
Sarah Mir says
HI Khadeeja! Thank you so much for your review - I will go ahead and fix the order of ingredients on the recipe card. Re: spices, absolutely noted, tastes and preferences do vary a great deal!
Najwa says
Looks great.
Just wondering why add baking powder?
Thanks
Sarah Mir says
Hi Najwa! I typically add a tiny bit of baking soda (not powder) to help the chickpeas tenderize and absorb more flavour!
Tanzeela says
Love the simple recipe 🙂
Sarah Mir says
Thank you Tanzeela!
PURVEZ DESAI says
I had found a recipe for the very simple carrot achaar they serve with the choley puri and was dying to eat it with the authentic item.
WELL!! THIS IS IT!! I cooked the breakfast version with the teabag and no tomato and I was suddenly sitting in Karachi again.
Hazaar Shukriya!!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
First of all THANK YOU!!!! Hearing that made my day!!! Also you know I am going to ask you for this achar recipe! I love that particular achar so much!
PURVEZ DESAI says
I've tried replying with the achaar recipe a number of times but it never seems to get through. Ohkay here is another try:
1 carrot
1/2 tsp Rai Bhardoo (hulled mustard seeds)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp huldi
Salt to taste
Lemon juice
Mix all together and let flavours develop for at least an hour and preferably up to 3.
Raabeaa says
Hi Sarah!
I’d like to try making this with the tea bag but am confused as to when to add it? Sorry if that is a silly question! Thanks! 🙂
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi! Ok so I usually put the tea bag in the end for about 5-8 minutes. If you cook it too long it gets a bit of a bitter taste!
raabeaa says
awesome! tysm! 🙂
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
thank YOU!