Kala Chana (Black Chickpeas)

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minute. Soaking time: kala chana, overnight (minimum 8 hours)

Suitable for: Vegetarian, vegan (use vegetable oil instead of ghee/butter) and those on a gluten free diet

Serve piping hot with any of the Indian breads and plain boiled brown rice

Ingredients:   

Tarka

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee/butter

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

6 whole clove

1 medium onion, chopped finely

200g tinned plum peeled chopped tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped

1½ - 2 chillies (green finger), chopped finely

2 level teaspoons salt

½ -  ¾ teaspoon haldi (turmeric) - add the higher amount if using fresh tomatoes.

 ½ teaspoon of garam masala

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely

Kala Chana

230g of dried kala chana, rinsed and soaked in water overnight.

600 - 650ml water

handful of chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Preparation of dried kala chana:

1. Sort the kala chana to remove chaff/debris, rinse and soak overnight.

2. The next day, drain the soaked chana and rinse several times. Pour 600ml of water to a pressure cooker, add the chana and pressure cook for 20 minutes. Cool before opening the pressure cooker.

3. Whilst the chana are being pressure cooked, make the tarka in a separate pan.

4. Heat the oil (butter or ghee) on medium heat until fairly hot (be careful with butter/ghee as these have lower smoking points). Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir until they splutter (virtually immediately)

5. Turn the heat down to low/medium, add the onions and fry gently stirring occasionally until they soften.

6. Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chillies, garlic, ginger stir. Continue to cook gently, ‘mashing’ the tomatoes until a paste like consistency forms. I use a potato masher.

7. Add the garam masala, stir and cook for a further minute or so or until oil oozes out of the paste when a wooden spoon is dragged along the base of the pan

8. Add the tarka to the pressure cooked chana, stir and bring back to the boil.

9. Turn down the heat to low/medium and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer gently for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

10. Add chopped coriander. Bring back to the boil once again, then turning the heat down simmer for a minute or so.

11. Serve piping hot .