Kala Chana Recipe (Punjabi Black Chickpea Curry)
Rich, hearty Punjabi kala chana curry in a spiced onion-tomato masala, made in the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. Vegan, gluten-free, and packed with plant-based protein.
Servings: 6
Calories: 256kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried kala chana black chickpeas
- Water to soak and cook
For masala
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ onion peeled and roughly chopped, about ½ cup, see notes
- 2 tomatoes on the vine, see notes
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 2 green chilis optional or adjusted according to spice level
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili or cayenne powder see notes
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- Salt to taste
To finish
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 7-8 sprigs cilantro chopped
To serve
- Rice
- Roti
- Yogurt
- Pickled onions
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak the 2 cups dried kala chana/black chickpeas for at least six hours or overnight in plenty of Water.
Cooking the kala chana (Instant Pot instructions)
- Blend the masala base - blend the cut ½ onion, 2 tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic peeled, 1 inch piece of ginger and 2 green chilis together in a blender until smooth. You should have 2 cups of blended paste.
- Set the instant pot to saute mode (medium) and add the 1 tablespoon avocado oil Once the oil is hot, add the 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and wait until they splutter (about 30 seconds).
- Add the blended paste along with all the spice powders except garam masala - ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili or cayenne powder, and 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- Switch the saute mode to high and cook the masala for about 10 minutes, stirring in between until the moisture evaporates and you can see tiny droplets of oil around the masala.
- Drain and rinse the soaked black chickpeas and add the instant pot along with 4 cups of water and Salt to taste.
- Cancel the saute mode and turn the instant pot on pressure cook mode and put the lid on with the valve set to sealing mode.
- Set the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally (will take about 15-20 minutes). Open the lid and using a potato masher, mash some of the chickpeas into the curry to thicken it. Adjust salt if needed.
Finishing the curry
- Finish your kala chana with ½ teaspoon garam masala and chopped 7-8 sprigs cilantro
Serving
- Your kala chana is ready. Serve it with Rice, or Roti and a side of Yogurt and Pickled onions. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tomatoes - use plump, juicy tomatoes like on the vine tomatoes. If using roma tomatoes - use at least 3. If canned tomatoes are your thing, you can use 1 can of diced tomatoes, though I highly recommend using fresh tomatoes.
- Onion - you need about half a cup of onion. Too much onion can ruin the curry flavor so you can also use white or yellow onion instead red to be safe.
- Spice level - use a mild green chili like jalapeno in the masala and cayenne powder in the spices. Or completely skip it. Or just use black pepper. You can also use thai chili pepper in the masala and hot red chili powder in the spices to make the curry more spicy.
- Storage: Store leftover kala chana curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Stovetop Pressure Cook Method -
- Add the oil to the pressure cooker set on medium-high flame, followed by the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds are spluttering, add the blended paste along with turmeric, cayenne, and coriander powders. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring in between or until the moisture evaporates and you can see tiny droplets of oil aound the masala.
- Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas along with 4 cups water and salt. Lock the lid in place and turn the heat to high.
- Once the cooker whistles, turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (set a timer). After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let the pressure relase naturally (it will take about 15 minutes).
- Open the lid, check the chickpeas for tenderness, mash, add garam masala + finish with cilantro.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 755IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3mg
