Kala chana (Black chickpea curry)

One of the most common questions which are thrown at vegetarians and vegans is – where do they get their protein from? I have seen a lot of people who are planning to start a vegan or vegetarian life, worrying about this and assuming that they will become weak after starting a plant-based diet.

When I decided to become a vegetarian, this was never my concern as I am aware that home-cooked vegetarian Indian meals are perfectly balanced. Our ancestors had planned it very effectively, creating a complete equilibrium of all the essential nutrients – protein, carbohydrate, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Eating such balanced meals and remaining physically active was the secret of their longevity.

There is an impressive gamut of protein-rich vegan and vegetarian dishes in Indian cuisine. Indians love eating dal (lentils) every day, at least once and dal chawal (lentils with rice) is almost every Indian’s comfort food.

Other than lentils, there is a huge range of beans that are eaten very frequently in India. The enormous range of lentils and beans is more than sufficient for the required protein intake.

Today I am sharing the recipe for one such protein-rich vegan curry which is also one of my favorite Indian curries. The dish is kala chana curry or black chickpea curry (whole Bengal gram curry).

If you are also looking for a protein-rich vegan or vegetarian dish, try this recipe. It’s not only healthy but super delicious too. Trust me, you will never miss a spicy Indian chicken curry after having this.

Regular white chickpeas (kabuli chana) Vs Black chickpeas (kala chana)

Both these types of chickpeas are regularly used in Indian kitchens. However, I have seen that for a lot of people from outside India, especially those who are not from South Asia, black chickpea is a very new ingredient.

Though the shape of black chickpea is similar to white chickpea its taste and texture are different.

Black chickpeas also take more time to get cooked in comparison to white chickpeas.

Personally, I prefer the taste of black chickpeas.

What goes in black chickpeas curry?

To make this kala chana curry, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

• Dried black chickpeas: Also sold by the name kala chana or whole Bengal gram, you can easily find them in an Indian or any South Asian grocery store.
• Whole spices: I have added bay leaf, black cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds. You can add or skip 1-2 spices as per the availability.
• Coriander powder: It's the ground form of dried coriander seeds and is used as spice in Indian recipes.
• Kasoori methi: Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek leaves. This ingredient is used as a spice and gives Indian dishes a very nice smoky flavor.
• Garam masala: It's a flavorful blend of Indian spices with a very strong aroma and taste.
• Red chili powder: Choose a variety depending on how hot you want your curry to be. I prefer using Kashmiri red chili powder as it's not very spicy but gives a beautiful color to the dish.
• Cooking oil: For North Indian curries like this black chickpea curry, I prefer using mustard oil but you can use any cooking oil of choice. If using mustard oil, first heat it till the smoking point then switch off the stove and allow the oil to reach a more manageable temperature before adding the spices.

How to make (Step by step instructions)?

Step 1: Wash black chickpeas and soak them in water overnight or for at least 7 hours.

Step 2: Put the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water and salt.

Step 3: Put on the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on a medium flame till 9-10 whistles of the cooker.

Step 4: Transfer a ladle full of cooked black chickpeas to a grinding jar. Make a smooth paste of chickpeas, take it out in a bowl, and keep the paste aside.

Step 5: In the same grinding jar, put roughly chopped onions, garlic, ginger and make a paste. Keep the paste aside.

Step 6: Make a separate paste of tomatoes and green chilies. Keep it aside too.

Step 7: Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and cloves. Saute until the spices become fragrant.

Step 8: Add onion paste.

Step 9: Cook until the onion paste becomes brown.

Step 10: Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Saute for a minute.

Step 11: Add tomato paste and salt.

Step 12: Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are nicely cooked and change color to a brighter red.

Step 13: Put cooked black chickpeas along with the water in which it was cooked into the cooking pot.

Step 14: Add chickpea paste.

Step 15: Add more water, if required to get the desired consistency. Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for 7-10 minutes.

Step 16: Add crushed kasoori methi, garam masala, and chopped cilantro. Mix everything and switch off the stove.

Your delicious protein-rich kala chana masala is ready to be served!

How to serve kala chana masala?

Serve this curry hot with rice or any Indian flatbread like roti, paratha, or naan.

I love eating this curry with plain steamed basmati rice but you can also serve it with other rice dishes like jeera rice, vegetable rice, tomato rice, and cabbage rice.

A bowl of this curry can also be enjoyed as a flavourful soup.

How to store?

To store, transfer black chickpea curry to an air tight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 3-4 days.

Can it be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze black chana masala in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

To reheat, thaw it first and then either microwave for a few minutes until evenly heated or just transfer it to a pan, add some boiling water, cover the pan, and cook until the curry starts boiling. Check and adjust the seasoning, if required.

Recipe tips and tricks

• You may also add other varieties of beans to this curry to make it more delicious and nutritious.
• Black chana takes a longer time to get cooked than other beans and doesn't lose its shape easily so cook it for at least 9-10 whistles on a medium flame.
• Mashed black chickpeas are added to make the curry thicker. If you want you can also add around one ladle of finely mashed potatoes or roasted chickpea flour (besan) to thicken the gravy.
• To fasten the process of soaking chana, soak them in hot water.
• The time required to cook black chickpeas will vary depending upon different factors like the quality of chickpeas, capacity of the pressure cooker, and the altitude of the place where you are cooking them.
• If you don't want whole spices in your curry, tie the spices in a small muslin cloth and then add to the cooking pot. Removing them from the curry will become easy if you do this.

Frequently asked questions

Other vegetarian Indian curries

If you are looking for more easy vegetarian Indian curry recipes then don't miss to check the following links:

1. Indian vegetable curry
2. Chickpea and potato curry
3. Chickpea spinach curry
4. Rajma masala
5. Lobia curry
6. Shahi paneer