If you are craving for a soul-warming dish for those wintery days, then you've come to the right place. This hearty, wholesome, delicious black chana curry, which can double up as a soup, will transport you to that wonderful place where great food memories are made. Come travel with me...
Course Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine Indian
Keyword black chana, chana, Curry, kala chana, Spices, spicy curry, spinach, Tomato
Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
1CupBlack ChanaWhole. Soak for 8-10 hours and pressure cook
2TeaspoonAvocado Oil
1/2TeaspoonCumin Seeds
1/2TeaspoonBlack Garlic (Kalonji) Seeds
1TeaspoonGarlic
1TeaspoonGingerGrated
4Kashmiri ChiliOr to taste. Green chili also works
1/2CupOnionChopped fine
1/2CupTomatoDiced
1/2TeaspoonTurmeric Powder
1/2TeaspoonCoriander Powder
1/2TeaspoonCumin Powder
1/2TeaspoonDry Mango (Amchur) Powder
1TeaspoonHimalayan Pink SaltOr to taste
1CupSpinachRoughly chopped
Instructions
Wash and soak black chana for 8 hours with sufficient water to cover the beans. Drain and pressure cook with 1 cup water for 30 minutes (I use the Instant Pot). Save the water!
In a thick bottom dish, heat oil. Splutter kalonji (black garlic) and cumin seeds.
Add chopped garlic and allow it to brown lightly.
Add grated ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
Add Kashmiri chili and chopped onions and sauté until onions are translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder (amchur) and salt. Mix well for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked.
Add 2 cups of filtered water (more if you want to want to eat it as a soup) and cooked black chana along with the water that you cooked it in. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
Add chopped baby spinach, cover the lid back and turn off the heat. The spinach will wilt in the heat.
Remove from stove and serve hot.
Notes
Make it a little liquid-y and have it as a soup...or, eat this as a curry with rice or roti. Either way, you can't go wrong. *Use organic ingredients wherever possible