Chana masala

Chana masala is a staple dish in North Indian cuisine, originating in the Punjab region, and is also prepared in a variety of ways across the subcontinent, it is used as a common term for chickpeas cooked with tomatoes and spices. There are many varieties of chickpea, including ‘desi chana’ which is black, green or speckeld, and ‘kabuli chana’, which is large and tan-coloured, with a smooth coat.

This dish (or family of dishes) has a history as rich as its flavour. An early recipe for a chickpea curry is documented in Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi (Book of Delights), a late 15th-century Persian manuscript. The dish was flavoured with coriander, black pepper, and asafoetida. The spices and techniques used to prepare chickpeas evolved as the Mughal empire (16th to 19th century) introduced Persian culinary techniques, bringing onions, garlic, and ghee into Indian cuisine. Portuguese traders brought tomatoes and chillies, further influencing the flavours. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chana Masala emerged as a street food in  northern India, often served with bhature (deep-fried bread) or kulcha (leavened flatbread).


Links and references
Tracing the History and Global Fame of Chana Masala : The Timeless Tale of Chickpea Curry
Chana masala - Wikipedia
Authentic Chana Masala Recipe (Chickpea Masala) - Swasthi's Recipes
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Image credit: By Simon Law (sfllaw) from Montréal, QC, Canada - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1235151