Kaala Chana Masala
a popular Indian dish made with black chickpeas.
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 1 cup black chickpeas (Kaala chanas)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch of ginger
- 2 green chillies
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- salt as per taste
- 2 to 3 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup of chana. Add water and rinse it few times.
- Drain the water. Add some more water and keep the chanas soaked overnight or for 5 to 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, drain the water and transfer the soaked chanas to a pressure cooker.
- Add 2 cups of water. Add salt and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
- In the meantime, blend ginger, garlic & green chillies to a fine paste. Keep this aside.
- Open the pressure cooker once the steam has escaped completely.
- Strain the chanas and keep aside. Reserve the water in which chanas were cooked.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
- Add chopped onions and saute.
- Add a pinch off salt to the onions. Adding salt helps the onions to cook faster as they absorb moisture from the onions.
- Once the onions have turned golden brown in colour, add ginger garlic and green chilly paste.
- Saute for few seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder and garam masala.
- Add boiled chanas. Add the reserved water gradually, little at a time as per the desired consistency of the gravy.
- Mix well. Add salt if required. Mash a few chanas using a masher to thicken the gravy.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes allowing the flavours to infuse.
- Garnish with chopped coriander
- Chana Masala is ready to be served.