Chana masala

Chana masala

Made with the larger chickpeas
Alternative names	Chole masala
Place of origin	India, Pakistan
Region or state	Northern region of the Indian Subcontinent
Main ingredients	Chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, coriander, garlic, chiles, ginger, oil, spices
Variations	Aloo chole, murgh cholay, chole bhature

Chana masala ([ˈtʃənaː məˈsaːlaː], literally "mix-spiced small-chickpeas"), also known as channay or chole masala or chole or chholay (plural), is a popular dish from the Indian subcontinent and notable in Indian food and Pakistani cuisine. The main ingredient is a variety of chickpea called chana (चना) or kala chana (meaning black chana). They are much smaller than typical chickpeas (about half the diameter) with a stronger flavour and firmer texture even after being cooked.

Chole is the name for the larger and lighter coloured chickpea commonly found in the West. These are known as kabuli chana (काबुली चना) in Hindi-Urdu. Chana masala is fairly dry and spicy with a sour citrus note (the flavor usually comes from coriander and onion). Chana are usually replaced by chole in most restaurants, and both versions are widely sold as snack food and street food in India and Pakistan.

Along with chickpeas, the ingredients of chana masala typically include onion, chopped tomatoes, coriander seed, garlic, chillies, ginger, dried mango powder (amchur, sometimes spelled "amchoor"), crushed pomegranate seed (anardana) and garam masala.

In India, it is often eaten with a type of fried bread and is known as chole bhature. It is commonly sold by street vendors but can also be found in restaurants.