Punjab, northern India. Chana masala is the quintessential Punjabi dhaba (roadside restaurant) dish — hearty, spiced, and served to truck drivers and travelers as a complete protein meal with bhatura. Chhole bhature (chana masala with deep-fried bread) is the classic Sunday brunch dish of Delhi.
Chana masala (spiced chickpeas) is Punjabi street food at its finest — dry-roasted chickpeas in a deeply spiced tomato-onion masala with amchur (dried mango powder) providing the characteristic sour note. The chickpeas should be cooked from dried (not canned) and should be firm but yielding — never mushy. The masala is cooked until the oil separates (bhuna technique), producing a concentrated, complex sauce.
- Egyptian koshari (lentils and rice with spiced tomato sauce — the Egyptian chickpea-and-grain tradition); Turkish nohutlu pilav (chickpea and rice — the Ottoman parallel); Moroccan harira soup (chickpea and lentil soup with warming spices).
Masala chai — the spice in the chai mirrors and complements the spices in the chana masala. Or a cold Thums Up (Indian cola, stronger and more tangy than Coca-Cola) — the classic Indian street food accompaniment.