Indian food is so diverse. Although the core ingredients are more or less same, each state has their own method of preparation, unique spices and flavors. Today I’m sharing a very quick and wholesome kala chana recipe, Gujarati style- Rasawala Chana! Rasa refers to something that is saucy/gravy kind of preparation. Black chickpeas or black chana are known as kala chana in Hindi. In this dish, kala chana is cooked in besan (chickpea flour) gravy seasoned with spices, jaggery, and tamarind to give this dish its heat, sweetness, and tanginess. There is no sautéing of any masala in this kala chana curry | black channa curry, which makes this dish a breeze to prepare. All you need is about 10-15 minutes and of course, soaked and drained black chickpeas. That’s it, and this Gujarati kala chana curry is ready just like that! How easy ! This is also vegan and gluten-free!
Gujarati cuisine is not something that was prepared in my household, but we would rather get it in to-go containers from an awesome Gujarati restaurant in my neighborhood. They were popular for the thali (a platter of various vegetable preparations, rice, dal, snacks, yogurt & sweets). The thali is an unlimited affair, you can eat as much as you want, to your heart’s content. Despite getting them in to-go containers, the quantity was so good, we would still have leftovers. So that is how I was introduced to this delicious Gujarati kala chana curry, or perhaps I would have never known.
Since I’ve moved here to the US, I’ve been making this dish, thanks to Tarla Dalal’s recipe. The dish turns out just like the restaurant one that I’ve had many years ago, perfect and delish! I prefer eating this dish as a thick curry since that’s the way I remember having this, so I take it off the heat within a minute or two, as it begins to thicken. If you like a semi-dry curry consistency, simmer it until it thickens and coats the chickpeas. I hope you will give this dish a try too, cause that’s the only way that you’d know how good it really is 🙂
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE KALA CHANA CURRY RECIPE | GUJARATI RASAWALA CHANA
1.Rinse and wash the black chickpeas well. Soak in enough water overnight. Next morning pressure cook for about 6-7 whistles on medium heat, until they are tender. They shouldn’t be mushy.
2.Heat oil in a kadai/heavy bottomed pot. Add mustard seeds.
3.Once they splutter, add besan (if there are too many lumps in the besan, sift and use ) and sauté another 30 secs on medium low heat or until the besan turns brown in color.
4.Add in the chickpeas and mix well.
5.Add red chilli, turmeric, cumin-coriander powders, jaggery and tamarind water. Mix it well and sauté for another minute.
6.Add 1 & 1/2 cups of water and cilantro, mix it well and let it cook for 8-10 minutes until the curry thickens, stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency as per your requirement. The curry has a tendency to thicken when it gets cold. You can add some water and reheat it to adjust the consistency. Enjoy it with roti/rice
HOW TO MAKE KALA CHANA CURRY RECIPE | GUJARATI RASAWALA CHANA?
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