Vegan Slow Cooker Chana Masala

Vegan Slow Cooker Chana Masala. Chickpeas cooked in a fragrant, spiced tomato sauce. Make in the morning for dinner at night! Vegan and Gluten-Free. 

Your favorite Indian take-out, made in the slow-cooker. Which, I’m convinced was invented by a woman. An incredible device that makes dinner happen while you are literally doing anything else? My busy-day-dream-come-true. While I work from home, I love the ability to assemble dinner in the morning so it’s ready the moment BL walks in the door.

Plus, I rely on my slow-cooker butter chickpeas recipe to get me through the cold months and it was only a matter of time before I created a masala version. As vegetarians, we rely on Indian (and Thai) take-out all. the. time. The truth is, we have two Indian restaurants within walking distance of our house, which makes it all too easy to pick up the phone on a night I’m feeling less-than-inspired to cook. 

After years of forcing it, I’m so thankful that BL has finally embraced the cuisine. Now, we can bond over a love of chickpeas, ginger, and garam masala.

Ingredients for this slow cooker chana masala

As easy and delicious as take-out is, I wanted to create an at-home version. Mostly for leftovers, which I could eat for days on end of this stuff. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Aromatics, like fresh ginger, onion, and garlic cloves. 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Typically, I recommend 1/2 teaspoon of each to start, then adjust where desired. 
• 2 Thai chilis; you can sub in serrano pepper or jalapeno pepper instead 
• Spices, like turmeric, chana masala (or garam masala if you can’t find chana) 
• Tomato paste (roughly half a 6 ounce can)
• Canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Vegetable broth
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Basmati Rice and naan, for serving

How to Make this Vegan Slow Cooker Chana Masala Recipe

Even though this recipe is made for the slow cooker, I recommend first sautéing the onion, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat before adding to the slow cooker. And, while this might not make the dinner entirely effortless, it adds another layer of flavor that can’t be achieved in the slow-cooker alone. After all, that magical caramelizing of onions and garlic has to happen on the stove.

Then, stir in the chickpeas, tomato paste, and your favorite vegetable broth and let the entire thing simmer for hours in the slow cooker until you are ready to eat.

Honestly, I really love basmati rice and think it’s the perfect pairing for this masala. While I usually recommend brown rice for extra fiber and nutrients, I’m OK with using the white version in this dish.

Finally, the chickpeas. In my opinion, these provide enough protein and fiber. I know I’m a dietitian, but I really prefer the flavor of white rice to brown. Especially when mixed with a handful of cilantro, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

So, I hope you love this slow cooker chana masala as much as our family does!

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
• Pumpkin Maple Overnight Oatmeal 
• Slow Cooker Tomato Soup
• Easy Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup
• Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

Remember, if you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Slow Cooker Channa Masala

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4.92 from 12 votes

Slow Cooker Vegan Chana Masala. Chickpeas cooked in a fragrant, spiced tomato sauce. Make in the morning for dinner at night! Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• Large onion, very finely chopped (you can use a food processor to finely chop it, if needed)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced into a paste (mince garlic cloves with a microplane, then use the back of your knife to press into a paste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 Thai chilis, red or green, diced (omit or reduce for mild version)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons chana masala seasoning, or garam masala if you can’t find chana
• 3 ounces tomato paste, roughly half a 6 ounce can
• 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Basmati Rice, for serving
• Naan, for serving

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil, ginger and onions over medium heat. Then, cook until onion is very browned and reduced, about 15 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, chilis, turmeric and chana masala seasoning. After that, cook another 2-3 minutes until chilis are soft and mixture is fragrant.
• Pour the mixture into the base of a slow cooker along with the tomato paste, chickpeas and vegetable broth. Then, cook over low heat for 4-6 hours until thickened.
• If you'd like a thinner sauce, thin with more vegetable broth.
• Serve with rice and naan, garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving with riceCalories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1228mgPotassium: 453mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 608IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mg

Course: chana masala, glutenfree, healthy, slowcooker, vegan

Cuisine: Indian, Indian Inspired

Author: Alexandra Caspero

This slow cooker chana masala recipe was first published in 2016 and updated in 2021.