Dry Chana Recipe
Dry chana recipe is one of the basic recipes made with chickpeas in a South Indian style. It can be served with rice or roti.
Dry chana recipe is one of the basic recipes made with chickpeas in a South Indian style. It can be served with rice or roti.
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- â½ tsp red chili powder
- turmeric as needed
- â½ tsp jeera or cumin
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas or channa (1 cup raw)
- pinch hing (asafoetida)
- 1 green chili
- â½ tsp mustard (optional)
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- half tsp. jeera /cumin or kitchen king masala
- half tsp red chili powder
- Carbohydrate 1.48797606829595 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0323076923043109 g
- Fiber 0.237136752066602 g
- Protein 0.313018803410598 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00360111111019588 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (18g)
- Sodium 1164.43388888883 mg
- Sugar 1.25083931622935 g
- Trans Fat 0.0100221367510592 g
- Calories 6 calories
Step-by-step
- Soak chana overnight to 8 hours. Drain and cook them with 1 cup water, a pinch of soda and turmeric. You can cook for 1 to 2 whistles on a medium heat in pressure cooker or boil them in a pot with 2 cups of water.
- Heat the pan with oil, add mustard, jeera, chili, curry leaves & hing. Let them splutter.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute quickly to remove the raw smell. Add the cooked channa.
- Add garam masala, salt, turmeric and red chili powder. Mix well. Saute for a minute. Any left over water from the cooked chickpeas can be poured and evaporated.
- Transfer dry chana to a serving bowl.
Soaking dried chickpeas for eight hours is non-negotiable for achieving an even texture throughout the legume, as unsoaked beans will retain hard centers regardless of boiling time. Pressure cooking them for one to two whistles on medium heat breaks down the complex starches without reducing the legumes to mush. If you substitute canned chickpeas for dry ones, reduce the cooking liquid entirely and shorten the initial simmering phase to avoid oversoftening the skins.
Tempering whole spices in hot oil requires precise timing, specifically adding mustard seeds, cumin, and curry leaves simultaneously so they release their volatile oils without burning. Ginger-garlic paste must be stirred vigorously upon contact with the hot pan; its high moisture content causes rapid splattering, and the raw allium flavor disappears within thirty seconds of direct heat exposure. Ground spices like garam masala and red chili powder should coat the chickpeas immediately after the aromatics bloom to prevent scorching.
Leftover portions store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or freeze for three months without significant loss of structural integrity. Reheat chilled chana in a skillet over medium-low heat with a tablespoon of water to restore moisture lost during refrigeration. Avoid microwaving uncovered portions, as direct heat will dry out the exterior bean surface.
Adjusting the spice profile depends heavily on balancing the garam masala with the optional hing and green chilies. Substituting kitchen king masala for cumin alters the final aroma profile by introducing a heavier coriander and fenugreek base. Salt should be measured carefully at the final mixing stage because residual cooking water concentrates rapidly during the evaporation step.
