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Indian

Chana madra

Vegetarian

Chickpeas slowly cooked in a ghee-rich yoghurt gravy with whole spices. A celebration dish of Himachal Pradesh, served at the traditional dham feast.

Chana madra is an Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with dried chickpeas, yogurt and ghee. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
348

Plus overnight soaking of the chickpeas.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Drain the soaked chickpeas and cook in fresh water with half the salt until completely soft — about 40 minutes simmering or 15 minutes in a pressure cooker (opens in a new tab). Drain, keeping a cup of the liquid.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yoghurt (opens in a new tab) with the ground coriander (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab) and chilli (if using).

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pan. Add the cumin (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab) and fry until fragrant.

  4. Step 4

    Turn the heat to low and add the yoghurt (opens in a new tab), stirring constantly until it boils and the ghee (opens in a new tab) begins to separate.

    • 8 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the chickpeas, remaining salt, pepper (opens in a new tab), raisins (opens in a new tab) and cashews (opens in a new tab) and a splash of the cooking liquid. Simmer until the gravy is thick and clings to the chickpeas.

    • 10 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Himachal Pradesh (Chamba and Kangra), Himachal Pradesh, India · Well documentedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, tangy, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Dried chickpeas · Yogurt · Ghee · Cumin · Cloves · Cardamom
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Pressure cooking

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, ghee
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom cashews
  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

348 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 288 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 43%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy348 kcal121 kcal
Protein14.1 g4.9 g
Carbohydrate38.2 g13.3 g
Net carbohydrate31 g10.8 g
Sugars10.1 g3.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.2 g2.5 g
Fat16.7 g5.8 g
Saturated fat8.7 g3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol39 mg14 mg
Sodium793 mg276 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
555 mg
Calcium
199 mg
Iron
3.1 mg
Magnesium
64 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
114 µg
Vitamin C
3 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
286 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder, raisins, cashews.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): asafoetida.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The gravy should be thick and glossy, not soupy — reduce it if needed.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the yoghurt to a hot pan without stirring — it splits. Keep the heat low and stir constantly until it boils.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice, as at a Himachali dham.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Warm gently with a splash of water.

Variations

  • Rajma or mixed-vegetable madra: Kidney beans, or a mix of vegetables, are cooked in the same yoghurt gravy.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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