Kale chane ka shorba (Whole bengal gram curry)

Kale chane ka shorba is a very delicious protein rich vegan Indian curry. You can enjoy it with rice/ roti/ paratha or just as a bowl of comforting soup.

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 daal (lentil) every day, at least once and daal chawal (lentil and rice) is almost every Indian’s comfort food. Other than lentils, there is a huge range of beans which we eat very frequently. Though there are a lot of other protein options like nuts, cottage cheese etc which are an integral part of the Indian cuisine, the enormous range of lentils and beans are more than sufficient for our required protein intake.

Today I am sharing the recipe of one such protein-rich vegan curry which is one of my favorite Indian curries. The dish is kale chane ka shorba (whole Bengal gram with gravy). You can find kale chane in any Indian grocery store and they are easily available online too.

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

You can have it with steamed rice, which is my favorite way of eating it or can also serve it with roti/ paratha/ puri or can enjoy it as a bowl of comforting soup.

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How to make Kale Chane ka shorba?

Recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes + Bengal gram soaking time

Making time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients :

• Whole black Bengal gram (dry): 1 cup
• Red onion: 2
• Tomato: 2
• Garlic: 5-6 cloves
• Ginger: 1-inch piece
• Green chilies: 2-3/ as per taste
• Chopped coriander leaves: ½ a cup
• Dry bay leaves: 2
• Black peppercorns: 3-4
• Cloves: 2-3
• Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Black cardamom: 2
• Cinnamon stick: 1 small piece (1/2 inch)
• Red chili powder: 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder: 1 tablespoon
• Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: as per taste
• Mustard oil/ any other cooking oil of your choice: 1.5 tablespoon

Method:

• Wash and soak the Bengal gram in water for around 7-8 hours/ overnight
• Put the soaked Bengal gram and the water in which they were soaked, in a pressure cooker. Add more water, if required and also half of the salt that you want to add in the dish and cook till 6-7 whistles of the cooker or until the Bengal grams are cooked. They should not lose the shape but easily get pressed between two fingers. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, cook in a pot but then it will take at least one hour to cook them properly
• In a grinder, put the roughly chopped onions, garlic and ginger to make a smooth paste. Take out the paste in a bowl and keep it aside
• Now add roughly chopped tomatoes and green chilies to the same grinder and make another paste. Keep it aside
• Heat oil in a pot and add  bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, black cardamom, and cumin seeds
• Once they become fragrant add in the onion paste and fry till the onion becomes golden brown. If the onion starts burning or sticking to pot add 1 tablespoon of water and cook again. Repeat this till the onions become golden brown
• After that add in the tomato paste, all powdered spices, and remaining salt
• Fry for around 4-5 minutes stirring in between. If required, add 1 tablespoon of water to avoid burning
• Once tomatoes are done, add boiled Bengal gram along with the water. Add more water, if required to get the desired consistency
• Mash around a ladle of Bengal gram with the ladle while stirring or just take out a ladle full of Bengal grams in the grinder and make a paste. Add this paste back to the curry. This is a tip shared with me by my mother. This makes a very nice, rich and thick gravy
• Now cover the pot and cook for 10-15 minutes
• Add in the coriander leaves, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes
• Serve hot with rice/ roti/ paratha/ puri and enjoy your protein-rich vegan dish