Tawa Chole | Chickpea Stir Fry

Is this different than Chana Masala

Yes! Chana Masala is a Northern India specialty! Punjabi cuisine is very rich, spicy, and masaledar (wholesome flavors). Even the whole spices used in this cuisine are very aromatic and distinctive. Chana Masala or the Punjabi Chole is one of their most popular curries that has a fan following from all around the globe.

My curried chickpea salad is very similar yet very different from the traditional Chana masala recipe. It's called Tawa chole, Chana Chaat, or Curried Chickpea Salad! This is my go-to recipe when I am not in the mood to make elaborate chana masala. The Chickpea Sundal is a South Indian variation of this dry salad-like dish. 

Discovered this dish on a road trip

I tasted this chana chaat for the first time in Punjab where I was on a road trip with my friends. While we were there, we only ate at Dhabas because we wanted to try the local food. In fact, that trip turned out to be a great culinary experience of sorts for us! The variety of food we got to taste on that trip was memorable.

All the food we had there was chatpata with flavors that aroused all five senses. Dine at a local Dhaba if and when you visit the north of India. It's totally worth the experience.  Having had this dish there, I wanted to recreate it for my readers, and what better time than now? So if you have got chickpeas or garbanzo beans handy, give this Tawa Chole dish a try!

Why make this

• It's a dry sabzi (curry) compared to the Chana masala gravy.
• It has all the flavors of chaat. So, it is extremely delicious to taste.
• It can be enjoyed as a hearty snack or salad.
• Plus it's a quicker version! 

Garbanzo beans vs chickpeas

But wait, there seems to be a constant debate on garbanzo beans vs chickpeas. Let me break this myth! Chickpeas are garbanzo beans! Yes, they are the same.

While the two names seem unrelated, they are in fact the same bean. The only difference between garbanzo beans vs chickpeas is that "chickpeas" refers to its English name while "garbanzo" is its Spanish name.

Are garbanzo beans healthy

Yes, chickpeas offer a variety of health benefits and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets!

• Rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber
• Helps improve digestion
• High in protein
• Very versatile to cook and flavorful to taste

The best thing about this vegan chickpea recipe is that it's made using basic pantry staples. Even if you don't have some ingredients, you can easily substitute it with something else or skip adding it. 

Chickpeas - You can use any kind - dried or canned. Personally, for this recipe, I prefer canned chickpeas because they are cooked and they hold their shape.

Chana masala spice mix - This is essential to any Indian-style chickpeas recipe, so it is a good spice mix to buy. It gives the recipe an authentic taste. You can find this in any Indian grocery store or on Amazon. Read notes for substitute options. 

Other spice mixes like turmeric, paprika, cumin powder, and garam masala are used in this recipe.

Veggies like onion, tomato, cilantro, garlic, and ginger are what you will need.

Carom seeds - available in the whole spice section at a grocery store are great for digestion. 

Lemon juice - helps balance the flavors and gives them the required tang.

If you are a fan of the Indian chana masala, then you will love this vegan curried chickpea salad recipe. It is a fairly simple and easy recipe to make.

I used canned chickpeas in this recipe. Drain the liquid in it (preserve this liquid if you want. This is aquafaba) and rinse the canned chickpeas under running water. Read my tips and notes if using dried chickpeas. 

1. Add cooked chickpeas to a mixing bowl.
2. Then add paprika, garam masala, cumin powder, and salt.
3. Add chole masala.
4. Mix it all together and let it marinate for 20 minutes
5. Then, heat the oil in a skillet. Fry ajwain (carom seeds), half of the chopped cilantro, ginger, and garlic. Saute till the raw smell disappears. The aroma of ajwain and masala will spread in your kitchen, which is a good thing.
6. Now add and saute onions till they turn translucent.
7. Then add the tomatoes and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are done.
8. Next, add the marinated chickpeas. Give it a good mix. Saute for another 2-3 minutes till all the masala is cooked.
9. Lastly, add chopped raw onions, lemon juice, and the remaining chopped cilantro for garnish. Chickpea Stir Fry is ready!

Serving suggestions 🍽

While you can enjoy this vegan Tawa chole or curried chickpea salad as a snack by itself, it also makes a great combo with Puri or any flatbread. You can also stuff it in pita bread, burritos, wraps, or tacos. Every bite releases a burst of flavors in the mouth. I am so glad that I made this recipe. Now I have another quick alternate go-to recipe to cook with a can of chickpeas! 

Top recipe tips 💭

Chana masala spice blend is key to the recipe. But if unavailable, use any curry powder or garam masala that you have. You can also swap chickpeas with any beans and make this recipe.

The garnish is important in this vegan chickpea salad. The raw onions give this dish the required crunch, lemon juice gives it the extra zing and the cilantro gives it a nice aroma. Do not skip it.

Recipe FAQs 📖

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram @cookilicious with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg. I love hearing your feedback! 

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