Kadai Chole is a flavorful chickpea curry traditionally cooked in a kadai, an Indian wok-like pan. This one-pot dish takes about 30 minutes and combines spiced chickpeas with potatoes in a simple tomato, ginger, and garlic sauce. It’s vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free—easy to adapt and full of Indian flavors. Jump to Recipe
A kadai is a deep, round pan used across Indian kitchens for quick stir-fries and slightly dry curries. Kadai dishes often feature a distinctive spice profile, sometimes sold as kadai masala. For this Kadai Chole, a fragrant paste of ginger, garlic, green chili, coriander, cumin and paprika is cooked at high heat, then combined with tomato puree, chickpeas and potatoes. The dish can be adjusted to your preferred consistency—add water or coconut milk for a saucier curry, or simmer longer for a drier, wrap-friendly version.
Serve Kadai Chole garnished with sliced raw onion, extra green chili, chopped tomato, a squeeze of lemon and fresh cilantro. It pairs well with rice, flatbreads, or can be used as a filling for wraps. You can also swap chickpeas for other legumes like black-eyed peas, brown chickpeas or kidney beans, and add any vegetables you like.
More Chickpea Recipes
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- Veggie Chickpea Coconut Korma (GF, soy-free)
- Mangalorean Chickpea Curry (GF, soy-free)
- Butter Sauce Chickpeas (GF)
- Spanish Chickpea Stew with Cauliflower & Broccoli (GF, soy-free)
- Harissa Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew (GF, soy-free)
Kadai Chole / Chana – Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes
Rating: 5 from 13 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Main | Cuisine: Indian
Kadai Chole is a quick and satisfying chickpea curry made in a kadai or skillet. The aromatics and spices create a bright, savory sauce that clings to chickpeas and potato cubes. Make it saucier or drier to suit your meal—perfect with rice, roti or in wraps.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 hot green chili, divided
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tomatoes, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 small potato, cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp minced ginger (additional)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Sliced onion, chopped tomato, cayenne or smoked paprika, cilantro and lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Make a paste by blending 1 tbsp chopped ginger, 5 cloves garlic, half the green chili, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp paprika with 2–3 tablespoons water until smooth.
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet or kadai over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the blended ginger-garlic-spice paste to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell of garlic subsides.
- Puree the chopped tomatoes and add them to the skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes until the tomato cooks down and the aroma is well blended with the spices.
- Add the chickpeas, cubed potato, 1 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the flavors meld.
- Stir in the sliced bell pepper, 1/2 tsp minced ginger, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or cayenne), 1 tsp lemon juice, the remaining chopped half green chili and 1/2 tsp garam masala if using. Mix well and add more water if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Cover and cook for 2 more minutes to heat the peppers through but keep some bite. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Garnish with sliced raw onion, chopped tomato, a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne, a dash of lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot with rice, flatbread, or use the drier version as a filling for wraps.
Notes
You can make this dish with just chickpeas and peppers (omit potatoes), or swap in other vegetables. For variation, add 1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder) and 1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (or 1/8 tsp powdered fenugreek) when adding the finishing spices.
Instant Pot: Follow steps 1–3 using the sauté mode (stir often to prevent tomato puree from sticking). Add chickpeas, potato, 1 cup water and salt; mix well to incorporate any stuck bits. Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the peppers, ginger, smoked paprika, lemon juice, the remaining chopped chili and garam masala. Sauté briefly if needed to slightly soften the bell peppers. Garnish and serve.
Nutrition information is for one serving (approximate).
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 245 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 12 g, Fat: 4 g, Sodium: 636 mg, Potassium: 742 mg, Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 960 IU, Vitamin C: 33 mg, Calcium: 94 mg, Iron: 5.6 mg
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