No- Frill Kala Chana or Black Chickpea curry

                  No- Frill Kala Chana or Black Chickpea curry 

INGREDIENTS: 

For soaking and cooking :

Black Chickpeas - 1 1/2 cups

Water - enough to submerge the chickpeas

Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

For Curry :

Medium sized onions - 3, finely chopped

Tomato puree - 2 cups (blanched 4 ripe tomatoes and blended to puree)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Amchur or mango powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Uttar Pradesh Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Chili powder - 1 tablespoon (adjust the heat accordingly)

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons

Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Chopped coriander leaves - handful 

Green chilly - 1

Kasuri Methi or dry fenugreek leaves - 1 teaspoon

TO TEMPER :

Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cloves - 6 

Star anise - 1

Bay leaf - 1

Cardamom - 1

Cumin - 1 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Soak black chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight in water. 

2. The next morning, rinse off the chickpeas in clean water and drain them. 

3. Boil the chickpeas with enough water submerged in a stewpot with some salt to flavor the chickpeas. 

4. After the chickpeas has boiled thoroughly, drain them in a colander. Reserve the chickpeas stock for making curry later.

5. Now, in a frying pan or wok, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, after it has heat up, now you may add all the ingredients under the 'TO TEMPER' section.

2. Then, followed by the finely chopped onion. Sauté the onion until translucent. Then add in all the powder (highlighted), keep the flame very low as you don't want the powder to burn. Sauté' for 1 minute and then add tomato puree and ginger garlic paste. Put a lid and keep the flame low. Allow the raw smell of the masala dissipates and you may see the oil separates. This takes about 10 minutes. 

3. Now, blend half cup of boiled black chickpeas in a blender without any water or you may mash it with a masher. 

4. Add the mashed chickpeas into the masala concoction and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on.

5. Next after 10 minutes, add the remaining boiled chickpeas and it's stock. Adjust the water to your preferred curry consistency. Add enough salt to season the curry. 

6. I simmered this under the low flame reducing into semi-thick curry and the oil has started separating beautifully. Sprinkle a lavish amount of coriander leaves, a slit of green chili and a teaspoon of dry fenugreek leaves.

7. The black chickpeas curry can be served as a side-dish for rice, pulao, biryanis, chapatis, rotis. 

Note : Please you the Uttar Pradesh Garam Masala for this recipe as it gives the curry a great robust flavor. Don't skip this suggestion.

Thank you Beautiful People

Abby