One of our family favorite Pakistani menu is Kala Chana or Black Chickpea Curry. Kala Chana is considered as healthy and nutritious diet in Pakistan and India as it’s rich in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. It’s also good source of iron and fiber. What’s more, it naturally helps reduce cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels (nutrition fact from www.organicfacts.net).
Dried black chickpeas are very hard, so they must be soaked in water and dash of baking soda for all day or all night before cooking.
Ingredients;
- 1 cup Black Chickpeas
- 4 cups Hot water
- 1 pinch Baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp Salt, devide
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 Medium Onions, quatered
- 2 Medium Tomatoes, quatered
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3-4 green chili peppers
- 2 tbsp Chopped Coriander
- 1 tbsp Qasuri Methi, squeeze to break by hands
Preparation for Black Chickpeas
- Rinse the Black Chickpeas thoroughly under the tap water until sure that they are clean and there are no any tiny pieces of stones.
- Soak Black chickpeas in hot water, add a pinch of baking soda, and ½ tsp of salt. Cover and leave them soak for all day or all night. For example, if you soak in the morning they will be ready to cook in the evening or if you soak in the night, they will be ready to cook in the morning.
- When Black chickpeas are soaked and absorbed the water, their sizes would be double.
How to cook
- In the blender, puree tomatoes, onion and ginger garlic paste together.
- Put Black Chickpeas and their soaked water in the pressure cooker.
- Add tomatoes and onion puree. Follow by coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Cover and pressure cook for 15 minutes*.
- Cool down the pressure cooker, open the lid and bring back to the stove.
- Add olive oil and cook uncover over medium heat.
- When the curry is getting thicken and oily film is seen on top, add the Qasuri methi** and bring to boil again for 5 minutes.
- Add chopped green chili and chopped coriander. Reduce to low heat and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the stove, transfer to the serving bowl and top with coriander leaves as desire.
- Serve hot with white rice, best with Basmati rice.
* Time may vary by the pressure cooker, after pressure cooked, the black chickpeas should be soft and stay-in-shape, not mashed.
** This Qasuri Methi flavors your curry very nicely. But it’s fine if you really can’t get it.
I hope you enjoy my recipe.
@Fatimah’s Kitchen
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