Kala chana

Name: Kala chana (Bengal gram curry)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 3–4
Cuisine: Bangladeshi
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder; 2 tablespoons ghee or rice bran oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 200 g (7 oz/1 cup) dried black chickpeas (kala chana); 4–5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish; ½ teaspoon Chaat masala; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1–2 Indian green chillies, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1 large tomato, finely chopped; 1 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked; a pinch of asafoetida (optional); 2 dried red chillies, cut in half; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Bengal gram curry

Preparation info

Serves
3–4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
55 min

Appears in

Lands of the Curry Leaf

By Peter Kuruvita

Published 2018

About

Also known as Bengal gram, kala chana is a type of chickpea, but dark brown in colour and smaller in size than the common chickpea. This is a mildly spiced black chickpea curry, made in a Punjabi style.

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz/1 cup) dried black chickpeas (kala chana)

Asia
Bangladesh
Main course
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Spicy

Method

Put the chickpeas in a bowl, add 750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) water and leave to soak overnight, or for at least 8–