I have always been a fan of Black Chickpeas. I like them spicy. If I make them dry, I like them with roti. The curry recipe goes better with rice. Sometimes I put extra water while boiling to enjoy it as a soup. The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make Kala Chana Curry. But if you’re in a hurry, you can also click “Jump to Recipe’ under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card or click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
ABOUT KALA CHANA
In a literal sense, Kala Chana is made with two words: Kala (means black) and Chana (means chickpeas). This is a particular form of garbanzo beans that is deep brown in color. This variety of chickpeas is very popular in Indian cuisine, and it is used in a variety of recipes. You can use it to make a curry, or a salad (popularly known as chaat), enjoy it in a soup, or serve it dry with some onions and lemon juice. No matter how to use it, the recipe will also turn delicious. You can make it on the stovetop and in an Instant Pot. Cooking with Instant Pot will make the cooking process easier and less time-consuming. Like Green Sprouts, these black chickpeas are a good source of protein. So if you are on a vegan or vegetarian diet, then instead of having soy in your diet, I will urge you to include Kala Chana.
INGREDIENTS & SUBS
See the recipe card for quantities.
HOW TO MAKE KALA CHANA CURRY
**For the full recipe, check the recipe card below but you refer here for step-by-step photo instructions.
Soaking
Rinse the Kala Chana couple of times until the water runs out clean. Then soak them overnight or for 6-8 hours.
Pressure Cooking
Once soaked, strain the water and place chana in the instant pot or on the stovetop pressure cook and pressure cook for 30 minutes.
Make Onion-Tomato Masala
In a skillet, add oil. When oil is hot, add onions and fry for 2-3 minutes. When onions start to change the color, add tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until they turn soft & mushy.
Add grated or minced ginger & garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Then Add spices (red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder, and salt). Saute for 1-2 minutes.
Preparing Curry
Once Kala Chana is pressure cooked and is soft & tender, add it to the onion-tomato masala. Add more water (if needed) and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until desired consistency. Garnish with Cilantro and sprinkle some lemon juice and enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE KALA CHANA IN AN INSTANT POT
You can make Kale Chane in Instant Pot in two ways: using Bean Mode or Pressure Cook Mode. You can use these methods to make a delicious Chana Recipe. Though Beans Mode has presets, especially for beans and legumes. But if you use Pressure Cook Mode, you need to adjust the time. If you don’t want to soak them overnight, add black chickpeas to Instant Pot and cover them with water (in 1:2 proportion). Pressure cook for 60 minutes and let the pressure release naturally (NPR). In Bean Mode or in Pressure Cook Mode, pressure cook Kala Chana for 30-60 minutes. Pressure for 30 minutes, if you want, not too soft & not too hard (al dente). Pressure cook for 40 minutes if you want softer. And 60 minutes if you want kidney beans to be incredibly soft. I pressure cook for 60 minutes, as everyone in my family likes extremely soft Chane.
HOW TO MAKE KALA CHANA ON STOVETOP
First, I soak dried black chickpeas overnight in at least 2 qt of water. Then drain the water and cook the chickpeas by adding them to an Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker with a quart of water and some salt. Pressure cook at medium heat for 5 whistles and then at low-heat for 15-20 minutes.
PRO TIPS
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
You can serve this Kala Chana Curry with a bowl of steamed white rice or jeera rice. Garnish with some cilantro and for a tangy flavor, sprinkle some lemon juice. Serve it with sliced onion and green chutney for a complete meal.
STORAGE
You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer; the taste will remain the same. You can store leftover Chana Curry in the fridge for 3-5 days. And in the freezer in a container for 1-2 months. Before using the freezer-stored Black Chickpeas, just thaw and heat them in the microwave or pan on the stovetop until boiling.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
OTHER BEANS & LEGUMES RECIPE
CHICKPEAS CURRYRAJMA MASALA (KIDNEY BEANS CURRY)DAL MAKHANIMOON DAL TADKAMATAR CHAATSWEET POTATO & LENTIL CURRYSWEET POTATO & CHICKPEAS HASH
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