Nothing can beat the combo of channa/chole masala with rotis. I luv it with pooris too :) I have already jotted down black channa gravy with coconut so here is my no coconut version which we make with white channa and its our family favourite too.
Chana Masala Recipe - Ingredients
Preparation Time : 8 hrs | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 3
Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Channa - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 small chopped finely
Tomato - 1/2 small chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Channa Masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
To saute and grind:
Tomato - 2 big sized
Onion - 1 big sized
Cloves - 1/4 inch piece
Cinnamom - 1
Fennel(Sombu) - 1 tsp
Boiled channa - 2 tbsp [No need to saute]
Method:
- Soak channa overnight and pressure cook until soft,with enough water just allowing channa to immerse. Keep aside.Heat a wide bottomed pan with 1/2 tsp of oil, Add the ingredients under 'to grind' except boiled channa and saute until tomatoes are slighty mushy and raw smell leaves.

- Cool down , transfer to mixer add boiled chana and grind it to a thick paste and keep aside.Now in the pressure cooker add remaining oil, add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell leaves. Now add the onion and fry till transparent.Add the chopped tomatoes,onion and salt. Saute till raw smell leaves.

- Add masala paste along with red chilli, turmeric and channa masala powders, mix well. Saute and mix well till the masala powders are nicely coated with tomato and onion.Add cooked chana water and let it boil for 3-5mins under sim.

- Add cooked chana and mix well.When the gravy is thick enough or to ur desired consistency, switch off. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, raw onion and lemon juice.

Enjoy it with hot rotis or bhaturas!You can pair with bread , add raw onions, garnish with coriander leaves and have your bread channa in chat style.
My Notes:
- While grinding onions and tomatoes we can even grind it raw but sauting and grinding it to a paste enhances the flavour.
- After chana is added you can even pressure cook for 1 whistle for the gravy to blend well with chana.
- Garnish with finely chopped raw onions only while serving to retain the crunchiness.
- Adjust water according to the thickness of the gravy. As channa is also added while grinding the gravy will be creamy and thick.