Dry Kala Chana Recipe

This dry kala chana recipe, or sukhe kale chane, is made from boiled black chickpeas sauteed in ground spices with ginger and green chili. This recipe is made without onion and garlic. It’s totally vegetarian and gluten-free. Perfect for Navratri prasad and serves as a side dish too in everyday meals. Fully packed with protein dish is simple and easy to prepare.

Dry kala chana recipe is popularly known as Navratri’s Asthami prasad. Navratri is a religious festival that is celebrated in all states of India, but is most popular in the northern part. It comes twice every year for 9 days. People fast for 7 days and end on the 8th day, i.e., Asthami, or the 9th day, i.e., Navami.

Some people open fast on Asthami and some on Navmi. They both are the Navratri fast for 9 days, ending the period. The fast opens after offering the prasad to (kanjaks) little girls. They eat the prasad thali filled with kala chana, suji halwa, and poori.

I also went with my sister to several homes to eat the prasad and collect money or gifts. We both enjoyed this festival very much. After we grow up is not part of this enjoyment. So whenever we feel apart from this enjoyment, we cook this at home.

About Dry Kala Chana Recipe

Dry means sukha or sukhe chana. This recipe involves a dry preparation that’s very quick. Only one thing needs time here, i.e., soaking black chickpeas overnight. Soking helps them to cook fast. After that, the recipe gets very simple so that anyone can cook it.

This dry kala chana recipe is made without onion and garlic. Because it is mainly prepared during the fasting period. So I make it every time without using them. I like that taste very much. But if you want to use onion and garlic, then go ahead, that’s also good.

Check other black chickpea recipes: Kala Chana Chaat

Ingredients

• Black chickpeas- Dried black chickpeas are easily available in all grocery stores. They are black and smaller in size than white chickpeas.

• Ghee- I used ghee in my recipe, but you can use mustard oil too.

• Paste- I make a paste of cumin and coriander powder in leftover black chickpea water. This paste helps to give a tangy flavor to the recipe.

• Ginger and green chili- You can make a paste of both of them, or you can chop them.

• Salt- I use rock salt (Sendha Namak) here. You can use regular white salt, too.

How to make Dry Kala Chana Recipe

1.Take 1 cup dried black chickpeas in a bowl. Rinse them in clean water, then soak them in enough water overnight.

2. Before cooking, drain the water from the soaked chickpeas.

3. Now add them to a pressure cooker with 1 tsp salt and 2 cups of water in it. Cook them on a medium to high heat for 3 to 4 whistles. After that, turn off the flame.

4. When pressure comes down, naturally check if the chickpeas are soft and tender or not. If not, again cook to 2 whistles if cooked, drain the chickpeas in a strainer.

5. Now make a paste from boiled chickpea water. Take 2 tbsp of water from it, add 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix all well and make a paste.

6. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan on medium heat.

7. Now add grated ginger and chopped green chilies to it. Let them splutter.

8. After that, add the spice paste to it. Sauté it for a minute.

9. Now add boiled black chickpeas to it.

10. Mix all the ingredients well. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the flame.

Serve this dry kala chana recipe with roti, plain paratha, and poori in a lunch meal or dinner. You can serve it as a side dish along with dal rice. With salad and papad is also good to serve. You also eat it during snack time with a cup of tea.

Tips

• Soaking the dried black chickpeas overnight helps them to cook faster. Without soaking, they are very hard to cook.

• You can also use onion and garlic before sauteing the ginger and chili.