Kala Chana is a traditional Punjabi black chickpeas curry prepared in an onion-tomato masala with everyday Indian spices and herbs. It has a balanced, mildly spicy and earthy flavor. The dish is typically served with roti, paratha or steamed rice as a wholesome North Indian meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 540 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 570 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup/172 grams black chickpeas ((kala chana))
  • 2½ cups water (– for soaking)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee (clarified butter))
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ cup/63 grams or 1 medium-sized onion (– finely chopped)
  • 1¼ cup/185 grams or 2 medium-sized tomato (– finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon or 4 to 5 small to medium-sized garlic cloves (– finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon or 1 to 2 green chillies (– finely chopped, swap with serrano pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon or 1 inch ginger (– finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • 1 pinch asafetida ((hing), optional)
  • 1.5 cups water (or as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala (or Punjabi garam masala)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped, optional)

Method

Soaking black chickpeas

  1. Rinse black chickpeas for a couple of times in water.
  2. In a large enough bowl, take 2½ cups water and soak the black chickpeas or kala chana in it overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
  3. Drain the water. Using a colander or strainer, rinse the soaked chickpeas in water for a couple of times and set aside.

Making kala chana

  1. In a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoon oil or ghee. Reduce the heat to a low.
  2. Add cumin seeds. Let them crackle and then add finely chopped onions.
  3. Sauté onions till they become light golden on a medium-low to medium heat. Again reduce the heat to a low.
  4. Add finely chopped garlic, green chilli, ginger and sauté for 10 to 12 seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic and ginger goes away.
  5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and sauté them on a medium-low heat until the oil starts leaving from the sides of the onion-tomato masala. The tomatoes should soften and become pulpy.
  6. Swap fresh tomatoes with tomato puree or canned tomatoes. Crush the canned tomatoes before you add them. For tomato puree, add about ½ cup + 2 tablespoons of it.
  7. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder and sauté for a minute on low heat.
  8. Then add the soaked black chickpeas and water. Season with salt and mix well.
  9. Pressure cook chana on a medium heat for 10 to 11 minutes or 10 to 12 whistles until the chickpeas are cooked tender and softened well. If they have a hard center or are undercooked, pressure cook further for 5 minutes.
  10. Lastly sprinkle the curry with garam masala and coriander leaves. If you like, garnish punjabi kala chana gravy with coriander leaves.
  11. Serve the black chickpeas curry.

Serving Suggestions

  1. Serve the kala chana gravy hot or warm with Indian breads like roti, paratha or poori. This curry can also be enjoyed as a light soup with some toasted bread or dinner rolls.
  2. Rice is also a great option to serve with kala chana. Use your preferred rice – basmati or any variety. Flavored rice dishes like jeera rice (cumin rice), ghee rice also taste good with the curry.

Storage

  1. Store any leftover kala chana in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. While serving, reheat the curry in a pan and serve with a side of your choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.