Name: UP Style Sookha Kala Chana
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 525 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Black Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled until soft; 1 tbsp Ghee, can use oil for vegan option; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, crucial for digesting chickpeas; ½ inch Ginger, finely chopped; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; 1 tsp Ground Coriander; ½ tsp Dried Mango Powder, amchur; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ½ tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

8 hr 45 mintotal

45 min hands-on8 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat the measured ghee in a kadhai on medium flame. Add cumin seeds and let them turn golden.
Add asafoetida, finely chopped ginger, and slit green chilli. Sauté for a few seconds until highly fragrant.
Turn the heat to low. Add coriander powder, dry mango powder (amchur), and garam masala into the oil. Sauté very quickly so the dry spices do not burn.
Immediately incorporate the completely boiled and drained black chickpeas along with the salt.
Mix vigorously to ensure every single chickpea is coated with the dry masala mixture.
Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, so the spices adhere firmly to the chickpeas.
4–5 min
Turn off the heat, garnish generously with fresh coriander, and serve.

How to tell it's done

Dry, perfectly intact but incredibly tender beans coated heavily in a sour, spicy, and roasted dry masala.

Getting it right

Tip

Cooking the dry spices directly in ghee before adding the beans creates an intense roasted flavor that clings to the chickpeas perfectly. Always ensure your pan isn't too hot to avoid burning the spices.

What to serve it with

Traditionally served with hot Puris for breakfast, or enjoyed as a protein-packed dry snack with tea.

Kashmiri Haakh Saag

Haakh is Kashmiri collard greens cooked whole in mustard oil with asafoetida and green chilli, and almost nothing else.

35 minvegan

Kashmiri Khatte Baingan

Khatte baingan is a Kashmiri aubergine dish soured with tamarind and scented with fennel, cooked in mustard oil.

45 minvegan

Kashmiri Methi Chaman

Methi chaman is a Kashmiri dish of paneer and fenugreek leaves in a pale gravy scented with fennel and dry ginger.

40 minvegetarian

Kashmiri Nadru Yakhni

Nadru yakhni cooks lotus root in a pale Kashmiri yoghurt gravy scented with fennel.

1 hrvegetarian

Kathal Ki Sabzi (Jackfruit Curry)

Kathal ki sabzi cooks raw jackfruit like meat, browned first and then simmered until the pieces turn fibrous and tender.

1 hr 15 minvegan

Kathiyawadi Bharwa Dungri

Bharwa dungri stuffs pearl onions with a Kathiyawadi masala and cooks them whole until they collapse.

35 minvegetarian

Ingredients