Kaale Chhole (dry)

Kaale Chhole or Sookhe Kaale Chane or Black Chickpeas (Dry) is a recipe from Punjab. These are super easy and since it is onion-garlic free it requires less chopping of veggies and if the chhole is pressure cooked in advance the tadka or tempering for this recipe can be prepared in under 30 min.

During my school days, I remember trotting down to the gurudwara near my home every Saturday just to experience a melt in the mouth spicy tangy taste of kaale chhole. Kaale chhole ka prasad was distributed and I hope still is, in most gurudwaras on a Saturday. It is an out of the world experience to be the lucky one to get your hands on this yummy prasad.

Here is a recipe just how my mom makes it on early mornings each Ashtami or the eighth day of Navratri, the north Indian festival of fasting for nine days to cleanse and purify the soul and pray to the Goddess Durga. It is mostly eaten with hot and fluffy poori (deep-fried bread) or scooped with soft and fresh phulkas or chapatti.

Kaale Chhole

Difficulty Level: Easy

Prepping Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1.5 cup black chana or chickpea (soaked overnight in water)

3 large tomatoes, finely chopped

4-5 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

4 tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp chana masala

1 tsp coriander powder

Method:

1) Pressure cook chana for 30 min in 4-5 cups water.

2) Till the time the chana is done, in a wok heat cooking oil. Add jeera and let it crackle. Now put in chopped tomatoes and green chili and let it soften and form into a paste-like consistency. Stir in between.

3) When the oil has separated from the tomatoes, add in the red chili powder, chana masala, coriander powder and salt to taste. Stir.

4) Once the steam has evaporated from the pressure cooker. Open and check if the chana is soft and cooked.

5) Now add the chana to the tomato tadka prepared and let it simmer on low heat for 15 min. Serve hot with poori or chapatti.

Note:  At step 4, if the chana is still not cooked close the lid and let it whistle away for 15 min after adding the tadka to it.

How do you make your chana?

Do share with me your secret recipe!

Thanks for reading! :-)