Name: Chickpeas and Potatoes Flavored with Singed Spices (Pindi Waale Aloo Chana)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Pakistan
Ingredients: 2 to 4 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise (do not remove the seeds) for garnishing; 1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped; 1 cup finely chopped red onion; 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds, ground; 2 tablespoons mango powder or fresh lime juice; 3 cups cooked chickpeas; 1 medium-size russet or Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes, and submerged in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning; 2 teaspoons Toasted Cumin-Coriander Blend; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt; 1 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala; 1 teaspoon ground Deggi chiles (see box); or ½ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper) mixed with ½ teaspoon sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon fine black salt; 6 tablespoons canola oil; ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems for garnishing

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

Short for Rawalpindi, Pindi was the capital city of Pakistan until the 1960s, when Islamabad was constructed—a modern replacement for this overcrowded and unplanned metropolis. Some of the street foods associated with Pindi are extremely popular, not only in Pakistan, but also in India—especially in the northwest. This style of cooking chickpeas highlights the tart flavors of dried mango powder, pomegranate seeds, and sulfur-based black salt. Note the interesting way the spices are cooked: