Chana paneer – Sharing a simple and delicious paneer recipe with chickpeas or chana. This gravy side dish goes well with plain basmathi rice, jeera rice, roti, ajwain paratha or plain paratha. I make chana and paneer often for the kids’ & husband’s lunch box. I make this paneer chana to a gravy consistency if eating at home. If making for lunch box, I make it a semi dry curry along with a vegetable salad to go with roti. Both ways it tastes good.
I also make this restaurant style chana masala. You can also make this chana paneer recipe with crumbled panir or even skip paneer totally. You can also check this post on How to make paneer at home
Preparation for chana paneer
1. Wash chana few times and soak them overnight. Cook them with a pinch of soda, turmeric & water just enough to cover. I cooked in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle on a medium heat, you can also cook them in pot with more water.
2. While the chana cooks, chop or make a fine paste of onions and deseeded tomatoes separately.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Saute cumin in hot oil.
4. Saute ginger garlic paste until a nice aroma comes out. Do not burn it.
5. Add chopped onions or paste.
6. Saute until golden.
7. Add chopped tomatoes or puree. Saute for 3 to 4 mins.
8. Add garam masala powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt.
9. Saute until the mixture begins to leave the sides.
How to make chana paneer
10. Add cooked chana along with the stock.
11. Stir and cook.
12. Simmer with the pan covered on a low flame for 3 to 4 mins.
13. When the gravy turns thick, add panir and kasuri methi. If you prefer to make a semi dry curry, evaporate the water by cooking further on a slightly high flame. Then add panir.
14. Mix everything. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove after a minute. Keep covered. Do not over cook.
For more gravy paneer recipes, you can check
Methi paneer
Kadai paneer gravy
Dry kadai paneer
Paneer makhani
Paneer butter masala
Easy chana paneer recipe
Chana paneer
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for chana paneer
- ½ cup chickpeas or chana or 1 ½ cups soaked chana
- 1 cup water cook chana
- 1 pinch soda
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- 1 cup paneer about 150 grams (or crumbled)
- ¾ cup onions cubed & puree or finely chopped
- 1 ¼ cup tomatoes deseeded & chopped or pureed
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp garam masala or ( ½ tsp garam masala + ½ coriander powder)
- ¾ tsp red chili powder
- 1 green chili slit
- Salt as needed
- ¼ tsp kasuri methi crushed
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparation for chana paneer
- Wash and soak chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook or soft cook them in a pot with a pinch of soda, water and turmeric. If pressure cooking, do it on a medium heat for 1 whistle.
Making chana paneer
- Add oil to a pan and heat it. Saute cumin for a minute. Saute ginger garlic paste until the raw smell goes off.
- Add onion chopped or paste. Saute until golden. Add chopped tomatoes or pureed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garam masala and salt.
- Saute until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Make sure the raw smell of onions and tomatoes has gone completely.
- Add cooked chana along with the left over stock. Stir and adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed. Cover and simmer until the gravy thickens. If you prefer a semi dry curry, evaporate the moisture by cooking further on a medium flame.
- Add paneer and kasuri methi. Stir and cook just for a minute. Switch off. Add coriander leaves and keep covered.
- Serve chana paneer with roti or rice and a salad.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
PortlandMom says
I see a green chili listed in the ingredients but I’m not seeing where it gets used. Looks delicious – can’t wait to try this.
swasthi says
Thank you. Green chilli has to be added to the pan along with onion paste. Most often i skip green chilies in the pics as my kids still cannot eat the hot foods. But i do mention in the list as many prefer to use them.
Dilani says
Hi Swasti,
Can I replace tomato purée with anything?
Thank you
Dilani
swasthi says
Hi Dilani
The purpose of tomatoes is to add volume to the gravy other than that it also lends a slight tang. So you can just skip it and squeeze in lemon juice just before serving.
But if you want to get the same amount of gravy
Here are the replacements
1/4 to 1/2 cup thick yogurt/ curd
or
4 tbsps of coconut or 10 cashews blended along with onions to a smooth paste. Towards the end you can squeeze in lemon juice or add amchur
Hope this helps
Erin McNamara says
Does 1/2 cumin mean 1/2 tsp cumin?
swasthi says
yes half tsp cumin. Thanks for the mention. I updated
Nina says
Thanks for sharing. kids loved this
swasthi says
welcome Nina