Brown Chickpeas Curry (kala Chana) recipe

13 Aug Brown Chickpeas Curry (kala Chana) recipe

Last Updated on August 14, 2021 by blessmyfoodbypayal

Brown Chickpeas recipe Indian style with step wise pictorial and video method.

Vegan & gluten-free, brown chickpea curry made with a healthy legume, onion, tomatoes and few spices, is an Indian curry recipe and  a very good source of plant based protein.

ABOUT BROWN CHICKPEAS

You can call it the cousin of most popular type of chickpeas white Chana/Garbanzo beans, though both are different in their size and colour.

The chickpeas, part of this post, are smaller in size and dark brown in colour. Probably being dark brown, they are also called black chickpeas, i.e. kala Chana in india.

“Kala” means black and “chana” means chickpeas.

There’s a trend (where we live) that chickpeas are must to cook on every Saturday like Rajma on every Sunday, be it Ramja masala or Anardane wale Rajma.

Though we don’t know the history behind such ritual and tradition, yet we enjoy it on weekly basis.

This legume is such a super food that it’s soup is given to those (especially kids) if they are going through cold during winters.

You can make it in the form of gravy (present recipe), soupy of dry.

On one of the Indian religious festival Ashtami, these chickpeas are made in dry form, which carries no onions, garlic and tomatoes. These are served with pooris (deep fried Indian bread) and halwa, and these make a delectable and mouth-watering combo.

ABOUT THE PRESENT RECIPE

There might be numerous ways to cook black chana, but this is the most favorite of our family. 

This recipe has no ginger, no garlic and no coriander leaves/cilantro to garnish.

It’s not that we accidentally skipped those three ingredients, but we never love adding them to our chana masala. Yes, not even cilantro which is just to garnish.

The reason being, simplest this recipe, tastiest the results. 

And yes, the onions are left half cooked and that too deliberately. Because while you are eating soft soft chickpeas, a bite of crunch brought by the partly raw onion is just relishing. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This curry is usually served with plain streamed rice and this is the super hit combo.

However it can be eaten with indian flat bread, pickle and papad on the side.

STEP WISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF BROWN CHICKPEAS CURRY

MAKING IN PRESSURE COOKER

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS

1.Wash chickpeas very well and put in a bowl.

2. Add water, sufficient enough to cover the chickpeas.

3. Add salt and leave chickpeas soaked overnight or about 8 to 10 hours.

BOILING OF CHICKPEAS

4. Add chickpeas into pressure cooker after draining the water.

5. Add salt and drinking water.

6. Put a lid and cook chickpeas for 8 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure release on its own.

COOKING BLACK CHICKPEAS

7. Take oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

8. Then add onion and green chilies and saute till onion turns pink and translucent.

9. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute.

10. Cover the pan with a lid and let tomatoes cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

11. After the said period, uncover the pan. The sign of tomatoes getting completely cooked is that they loose their moisture and start leaving the sides of the pan.

12. Now transfer boiled chickpeas along with the water in which they were boiled.

13. Add salt to taste, though a bit of the salt was also added while boiling chickpeas.

14. Either using a potato masher or back side of the ladle, mash few of the chickpeas. It will help in thickening the gravy.

15. Cover and just boil for a minute or two.

16. Black chickpea curry is ready.

COOKING BLACK CHICKPEAS IN INSTANT POT

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS

Soaked washed chickpeas in sufficient quantity of water overnight or about 8 to 10 hours. Do add a tsp of salt in water.

COOKING OF CHICKPEAS

1. Press the saute button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add oil.
2. Add cumin seeds and once the seeds splutter, add onion and green chili.
3. Cook till onion turns pink and translucent.
4. Add tomato puree, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
5. Cover the pot with a glass lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add in the drained black chickpeas and give them a toss.
7. Add 2 cups of drinking water and stir.
8. Close the pot with lid and press the bean/chili mode. Adjust the time to 38 minutes at high pressure (adjust the time). The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.
9. Let the pressure release naturally.
10. Black chickpea masala is ready.

ALSO SEE

• Chickpea Curry Chana masala Safed Chane
• Pindi chole recipe
• roadside kulche chole recipe
• Chana Madra

Brown chickpeas recipe Indian – recipe card

Brown Chickpea Curry (kala Chana) recipe

blessmyfoodbypayal

Brown chickpea curry made with a healthy legume, onion, tomatoes and few spices, is an indian curry recipe and a very good source of plant based protein.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Soaking Time 8 hours hrs

Course Curry, Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

IF COOKING IN PRESSURE COOKER

FOR SOAKING CHICKPEAS

• 1 Cup black chickpeas/kale chane
• 1 tsp salt
• Water enough to cover chickpeas
• Water for washing chickpeas

FOR BOILING CHICKPEAS

• Soaked chickpeas water drained
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 5 cups drinking water

FOR COOKING CHICKPEAS

• Boiled chickpeas with water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 1 big onion cut lengthwise
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste

IF COOKING IN INSTANT POT

FOR SOAKING CHICKPEAS

• 1 Cup black chickpeas/kale chane
• 1 tsp salt
• Water enough to cover chickpeas
• Water for washing chickpeas

FOR COOKING CHICKPEAS

• Soaked chickpeas water drained
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 1 big onion cut lengthwise
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups drinking water

Instructions

 

MAKING IN PRESSURE COOKER

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS

• Wash chickpeas very well and put in a bowl.
• Add water, sufficient enough to cover the chickpeas.
• Add salt and leave chickpeas soaked overnight or about 8 to 10 hours.

BOILING OF CHICKPEAS

• Add chickpeas into pressure cooker after draining the water.
• Add salt and drinking water.
• Put a lid and cook chickpeas for 8 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure release on its own.

COOKING BLACK CHICKPEAS

• Take oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Then add onion and green chilies and saute till onion turns pink and translucent.
• Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let tomatoes cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
• After the said period, uncover the pan. The sign of tomatoes getting completely cooked is that they loose their moisture and start leaving the sides of the pan.
• Now transfer boiled chickpeas alongwith the water in which they were boiled.
• Add salt to taste thought bit of salt was also added while boiling chickpeas.
• Either using a potato masher or back side of the ladle, mash few of the chickpeas. It will help in thickening the gravy.
• Cover and just boil for a minute or two.
• Black chickpea curry is ready.

COOKING BLACK CHICKPEAS IN INSTANT POT

SOAKING OF CHICKPEAS

• Soaked washed chickpeas in sufficient quantity of water overnight or about 8 to 10 hours. Do add a tsp of salt in water.

COOKING OF CHICKPEAS

• Press the saute button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add oil.
• Add cumin seeds and once the seeds splutter, add onion and green chili.
• Cook till onion turns pink and translucent.
• Add tomato puree, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt
• Cover the pot with a glass lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add in the drained black chickpeas and give them a toss.
• Add 2 cups of drinking water and stir.
• Close the pot with lid and press the bean/chili mode. Adjust the time to 38 minutes at high pressure (adjust the time). The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.
• Let the pressure release naturally.
• Black chickpea masala is ready.

Keyword black chane, Brown chickpea curry, kala chana