Kala Chana Masala | Black Chickpeas Curry – Kala Chana Masala is a curry recipe made with basic kitchen staples including onions, tomatoes and curry powder. The consistency of the curry is runny or soup like with a tinge of tamarind. It can be had with steamed rice, idli, dosa and even idiyappam. This is slightly different from Kerala kadala curry as no coconut is used here and tamarind is added.
Checkout other curry recipes on the blog,
How to cook Kala Chana Masala | Black Chickpeas Curry
Kala Chana Masala Recipe
Cooking instructions with step by step pictures
Wash thoroughly and soak chickpeas in water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
Pressure cook the black chickpeas along with salt and garlic for 10 whistles in medium flame.
Let the pressure release naturally and check for the doneness of the chickpeas. If it’s not cooked again cook for about 3 whistles in medium flame.
In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds crackle, add chana dal and split urad dal.
After the dals are roasted, add finely chopped onions, red chillies and curry leaves.
Now add a pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
Saute till onions are browned.
Once the onions are browned, add chopped tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Next add chopped brinjals.
Saute for a few minutes.
Now add curry powder and salt. You can substitute curry powder with sambar powder or can use a mixture of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.
Mix everything together.
Add everything into the pressure cooker containing the cooked chana. You can add water if needed according to your preferred consistency.
Now add tamarind water or tamarind pulp and mix well.
Close the pressure cooker and cook in medium flame for 1 whistle. Let the pressure release naturally.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot !!
NOTES
- Don’t forget to soak the chana / chickpeas for overnight or a minimum of 8 hours. Soaking reduces the cooking time and even prevents stomach issues associated with legumes.
- You can substitute black chickpeas with white chana, rajma or kidney beans to make this curry.
Checkout other curry recipes on the blog,
Kala Chana Masala Recipe | Black Chickpeas Curry
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Kadai / Pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup black chickpeas
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp chana dal
- ½ tsp split urad dal
- 1 medium sized onion
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 1 big sized tomato
- 4 brinjals chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder or ½ tsp red chilli powder + 1 tsp coriander powder + ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Tamarind water from lemon sized tamarind or 1 tsp tamarind paste / pulp
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Wash thoroughly and soak chickpeas in water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
- Pressure cook the black chickpeas along with salt and garlic for 10 whistles in medium flame.
- Let the pressure release naturally and check for the doneness of the chickpeas. If it’s not cooked again cook for about 3 whistles in medium flame.
- In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add chana dal and split urad dal.
- Once the dals are roasted, add finely chopped onions, red chillies and curry leaves.
- Now add a pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
- Saute till onions are browned.
- Once the onions are browned, add chopped tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Next add chopped brinjals. Saute for a few minutes.
- Now add curry powder and salt. You can substitute curry powder with sambar powder or can use a mixture of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.
- Mix everything together.
- Add everything into the pressure cooker containing the cooked chana. You can add water if needed according to your preferred consistency.
- Now add tamarind water or tamarind pulp and mix well.
- Close the pressure cooker and cook in medium flame for 1 whistle. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot !!
Notes
- Don’t forget to soak the chana / chickpeas for overnight or a minimum of 8 hours. Soaking reduces the cooking time and even prevents stomach issues associated with legumes.
- You can substitute black chickpeas with white chana, rajma or kidney beans to make this curry.
Checkout other curry recipes on the blog,