This egg and chickpea curry, aka anda chana, is a delicious and wholesome meal. An ideal bite for me is a mix of buttery-soft, saucy chickpeas, white and yolky bits of boiled egg, all scooped up with some rice. Flavor-packed, comforting, beyond satisfying.
There are a lot of different regional names for this traditional dish, like anday cholay/ chole, egg cholay, anday channay ka salan, and anda chana masala. But they’re all basically the same. Curries with white chickpeas and boiled eggs. Sometimes rich and reduced, sometimes more saucy.
Like with most South Asian dishes, the ingredient list of this one isn't exactly brief. That said, I’ve got some prepping pointers and a few shortcuts. And if you get those right, the cooking will be a breeze.
The process starts with four steps, and you don’t have to do them in any particular order. Start your chickpeas in the pressure cooker, get your eggs boiling, and while those are going, make the spice mix and blend a couple of things.
What’s left after that is making a quick curry base, dumping in the cooked chickpeas and eggs, then finishing it off with some cilantro and lemon.
I know, I know, this doesn’t exactly scream ‘easy’ or ‘simple,’ but it really is. Using fried onions cuts down on chopping and frying time. Tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and chili all go into the blender, so no chopping there either. And mixing together all the spices right at the start means you won’t be rummaging through the drawers and pantry while you’re cooking.
If you like making Pakistani or Indian food, you probably already have everything you need at home. Make it. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Pre-cooking notes and tips
- Quick clarification for those unfamiliar: The chana (white chickpea) used in this recipe is not the same as chana dal. The latter is a lentil made from split black chickpeas and cannot be used as a substitute.
- I’ve never made this dish with canned chickpeas because the taste and buttery-ness of freshly cooked ones can’t be beat. But if you must, use 3 cups of drained and rinsed chickpeas to replace each cup of dried uncooked ones.
- The recipe as written makes 3 servings, which is why there are three eggs. You can always add an extra one or two if you want heartier portions.
- Kashmiri chili powder gives the dish its signature red color, but you can skip it if you don’t have any. If you do, I’d up the regular red chili powder quantity a bit. Say ¾ teaspoon instead of ½.
- You can use chicken powder instead of a cube. The cube I use is meant for 2 cups of broth, so if you’re using powder or concentrate instead, check the package for the equivalent amount you'd need.
- If you don’t have fried onions, swap in 1 medium onion for the ¼ cup of fried onions, and increase the oil from ⅓ cup to ½ cup. When you heat the oil, fry the sliced onion first, let it turn golden brown, then add the blended tomato mixture. Everything else stays the same.
- If you’re cooking the chickpeas in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker, start timing once it reaches full pressure. And lower the heat just enough to maintain gentle pressure throughout. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes before you do a quick release.
- I always use Roma or plum tomatoes for all my desi cooking. Sweeter varieties don’t work as well. Tomatoes need a little acidity to brighten the dish. Make sure your tomatoes are ripe and red for the best results. If they’re not fully ripe, also add a teaspoon of tomato paste for a boost.
- Yogurt needs to be tart. If yours isn’t, add a pinch of citric acid or lemon salt when you add it in, or add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice at the end.
Serving ideas
Anda chana is delicious with both rice and flatbreads like naan, roti, chapati, or parathas. Achar, raita, and kachumber all make great accompaniments.
And that's a wrap!
If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Rate and comment down below.
Happy cooking - Nelo
Egg and Chickpea Curry (Anda Chana)
Ingredients
For Spice Mix
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin powder - aka zeera powder
- 1.5 teaspoons coriander powder - aka dhaniya powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder - for that vibrant red color
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon salt - regular white salt
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
- 2 whole black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- 1 whole green cardamom - aka choti elaichi
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) uncooked dried chickpeas - unsoaked, rinsed & drained (See important Note A below)
- 1 chicken cube
- 3 eggs - boiled and peeled. Don't cut (Note B)
- 2 medium (200 g) tomatoes - I use Roma tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled
- 1 inch piece of ginger - peeled
- 4 green chilies - divided (Note C)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) cooking oil - any neutral oil you prefer
- ¼ cup fried onions
- ½ cup (125 g) yogurt - whisked until smooth (ideally room-temperature)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to an Instant Pot. Add 3 cups of water along with chicken cube. Lock the lid securely and make sure the steam release valve is set to the sealing position. Cook on High Pressure setting for 55 minutes.
- Once the cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then quick-release remaining pressure (follow the safety instructions of your device). Don't discard the liquid. If your dried chickpeas are too old, they will not soften and you may have to pressure cook longer.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, combine all ingredients listed under 'spice mix' in a bowl. Set aside.
- Puree tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and 1 green chili together in a blender. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a wide pan or pot over medium heat. Add the blended tomato mixture and fried onions. Stir and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened and oil starts to separate.
- Add the prepared spice mix and stir 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low, add yogurt gradually while stirring, so it doesn't curdle.
- Return to medium heat, stir and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the masala thickens and oil starts to separate again.
- Add chickpeas with all their cooking liquid. Stir well, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the curry thickens and the chickpeas are buttery soft. Adjust consistency with water if needed. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add the whole, peeled boiled eggs, chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Also, add the remaining 3 green chilies (either whole or chopped if you want extra heat). Mix gently, cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Turn off the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with naan, roti, or basmati rice. When serving, slice only the eggs you plan to eat in half and plate them with the chickpeas. Store any leftover eggs whole.
Marzia says
I tried this recipe and this is the best channa masala I've had! Shared it with my Indian coworker and she thought it tasted like food from a Pakistani restaurant 🙂
Nelo says
Thank you, Marzia, that is such a lovely review. So glad the dish was enjoyed 🙂