chana paneer

Chana Paneer Recipe

By Swasthi on July 13, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

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.

chana paneer

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

More paneer recipes,
Methi paneer
Kadai paneer gravy
Dry kadai paneer
Paneer makhani
Paneer butter masala

chana paneer recipe

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.

cooking chickpeas in pressure cooker

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.

sauteing cumin to make chana paneer recipe

4. Saute ginger garlic paste until a nice aroma comes out. Do not burn it.

frying ginger garlic paste for chana paneer masala recipe

5. Add chopped onions or paste.

sauteing onion paste

6. Saute until golden.

sauteed onion paste to golden

7. Add chopped tomatoes or puree. Saute for 3 to 4 mins.

tomato puree for chana paneer recipe

8. Add garam masala powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt.

sauteing tomato puree

9. Saute until the mixture begins to leave the sides.

addition of garam masala chili powder to make chana paneer recipe

How to Make Chana Paneer

10. Add cooked chana along with the stock.

Onion tomato masala for chana paneer masala

11. Stir and cook.

addition of chickpeas

12. Simmer with the pan covered on a low flame for 3 to 4 mins.

cooking paneer chana

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.

simmering gravy

14. Mix everything. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove after a minute. Keep covered. Do not over cook.

addition of paneer
chana paneer

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

chana paneer

Chana Paneer

Chana paneer is Indian cottage cheese and chickpeas curry made in North Indian style. Serve with rice or roti.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time6 hours
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time6 hours 35 minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • ½ cup chickpeas (chana or 1 ½ cups soaked chana)
  • 1 cup water cook chana
  • 1 pinch soda
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric (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 seeds (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

  • 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.

How to Make 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)

Nutrition Facts
Chana Paneer
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 37mg12%
Sodium 165mg7%
Potassium 350mg10%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 335IU7%
Vitamin C 13.2mg16%
Calcium 318mg32%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Chana Paneer Recipe

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Thank you! I have tried a few of your recipes and we love them! For this recipe, perhaps you could say “cumin seeds”? I was in a rush getting my ingredients together and wasn’t really thinking and at the last minute I realized that the spice would burn if I used the cumin powder instead ? Much gratitude to you for assembling these wonderful recipes and the details and pictures are so very helpful ❤️

5 stars
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.

5 stars
Hi Swasti,

Can I replace tomato purée with anything?

Thank you
Dilani

Does 1/2 cumin mean 1/2 tsp cumin?

5 stars
Thanks for sharing. kids loved this