Kala Chana Recipe (Black Chickpeas Curry)

Kala Chana Recipe – Black Chickpeas cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. Kala chana are the desi variety of chickpeas that are brown to black in color. These are used widely in Indian cuisine to make curries, stew and even stir fry dishes. This post shares the details on how to prepare and cook kala chana in a pot, pressure cooker & Instant pot.

This spicy curried kala chana can be served with plain rice, plain paratha, roti or even with naan. It also goes well with jeera rice, ghee rice & turmeric rice. Most Indian households cook kala chana often since they are healthy, protein-packed, fiber rich and taste delicious.

About Kala Chana

Kala chana is the Hindi word for “Black Chickpeas”. In Hindi, the word “Kala” means “Black” and “Chana” means “Chickpea”. Hence the name kala chana, meaning black chickpeas. These are native to India so they are also called as Desi chana or desi chickpeas, where desi means native.

Apart from being a good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, these are also high in fiber and protein. So we Indians across the world, consider black chickpeas as a health food and eat them often.

We make numerous dishes like chana chaat, chana sundal and also add them to stir fry dishes, curries and stews.

Black Chickpeas Curry Recipe

This kala chana recipe is a simple way to include plant based protein in your diet. If you are a curry lover, you will love this delicious, deeply flavoured dish that is healthier and makes for a great meal anytime of the year.

You can make this kala chana recipe in a stovetop pressure cooker, Instant pot or even in a regular pot. I have covered all the instructions in this post.

The preparation of kala chana recipe starts with rinsing and soaking them overnight in lots of water.

A spicy onion and tomato base is prepared similar to any other Indian dish. Then kala chana is added to this and simmered until they turn soft & absorb all the flavors of spices. I have also shared another recipe using black chickpeas, you may check it here – Kadala curry.

To make this kala chana recipe in a pot, the black chickpeas have to be precooked with water until tender. Then added to the onion tomato masala.

If you have a stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant pot, then you can cut short the process and avoid precooking the kala chana separately. Instead just make the onion tomato masala and add the soaked black chickpeas. Pressure cook everything together.

More Instant pot recipes
Instant pot dal & rice
vegetable kurma
Instant pot Egg biryani

How To Make Kala Chana Curry (Stepwise photos)

Preparation – Soak

1. Measure 1 cup chana and pick any debris or stones. Add them to a large bowl and rinse them very well. Soak them in 4 to 6 cups of water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

2. Once they are soaked I discard the water and rinse them well. When you are ready to cook, prepare the following:

• 1 cup onions (fine chop 1 large onion – 180 grams)
• ¾ to 1 cup tomatoes (fine chopped or pureed – 2 medium, 200 grams)
• 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic (3 garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger)
• 1 green chilli optional (chopped or slit)

Make Onion Tomato Masala

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter.

4. Then add 1 cup fine chopped onions and 1 chopped green chilli. I sprinkled ¼ teaspoon salt so the onions cook faster. Saute them on a medium heat until golden.

5. Then add 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste & saute on a low heat for 1 minute until the ginger garlic smells good..

6. Add the 1 cup chopped or pureed tomatoes. Using tomato puree prevents the separation of water in your curry. You will get a uniform gravy. Stir and cook until the mixture becomes thick and the tomatoes blend well with onions.

7. When most of the moisture in tomatoes is evaporated, then add

• ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
• 1½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

8. Stir well and cook this onion tomato masala until it begins to smell good. This takes about 2 to 3 mins.

9. Now add the drained kala chana and pour 3 cups water.

10. Mix everything well.

Pressure Cook

11. Cover and pressure cook for 10 whistles on a medium heat. This takes about 25 mins.

12. When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and check if the kala chana is done properly. They should be soft and cooked well.

Troubleshooting tip: If they are not cooked well, then pressure cook for 2 more whistles. I did not have to cook for more. Mine were done in 10 whistles.

13. Then add

• 2 tablespoons fine chopped coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional)
• few ginger juliennes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon ghee (optional). Mix all of these and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame. It will begin to smell very good.

14. After mixing well this is the consistency you should be getting. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Kala chana curry will be neither too thin nor too thick. But good enough to serve with rice or roti.

Serve kala chana with rice, jeera rice or roti. Squeeze some lemon juice and serve with raw onions and carrots.

Instant Pot Black Chickpeas Curry

1. Press saute button on your instant pot. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to the steel insert of the instant pot. When the oil turns hot, add half teaspoon cumin seeds. I have also added some whole spices which are optional – if you like you may add 1 small bay leaf, 1 clove, ½ inch cinnamon and 2 green cardamoms.

2. When the spices splutter in oil, add 1 cup chopped onions (1 large) and green chili (optional). Saute them until golden.

3. Add 1 ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste or ¾ teaspoon minced garlic and ¾ teaspoon minced ginger. Saute just for a minute, until aromatic.

4. Pour 1 cup tomato puree or chopped tomatoes. (I pureed 2 medium tomatoes in the grinder).

5. Stir and saute for a minute. Then add

• ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

6. Saute this for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.

7. Add soaked kala chana and pour 2 cups water.

8. Deglaze the pot by scrubbing the bottom of the pot, so any bits of food stuck will be released and avoid burn warning.

Pressure Cook

9. Secure the instant pot with the lid. Position the steam release handle to sealing. Press pressure cook button and set the timer to 35 minutes. If your beans are too old then set the timer to 40 minutes.

10. Once the IP is done wait for the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid and add the following optional ingredients. All these 3 will impart a lot of flavor to the kala chana curry. But you may skip them.

• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ inch sliced ginger
• 1 tablespoon ghee

11. Give a good stir and let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste test and add more salt as needed. This is the consistency you will get. It will be medium thick not too thin or thick.

Serve kala chana curry with rice or roti or paratha. We always love our kala chana with some lemon juice, fresh cut onions and carrots.

Pro Tips

Soaking is important: Black chickpeas have an harder skin when compared to the other legumes. Most of this is the fiber content which can easily make you feel bloated if they are not properly soaked.

Soaking them for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight is highly recommended to avoid tummy problems. This not only reduces the cook time but also improves their taste & texture.

I always stock some presoaked kala chana in my fridge. So it is easier for me to make a curry, salad or chaat instantly.

Texture of the gravy: I fine chop the onions and puree the tomatoes. So the gravy is thicker in consistency. You may use them chopped. But tomato puree prevents the water separation in the gravy so it is more uniform.

Spices : Most times I do not use a lot of whole spices in this recipe. I just use cumin. You may add 1 bay leaf, 2 green cardamoms, 1 to 2 cloves and half inch cinnamon stick to the tempering along with cumin as I used in the instant pot version. I use this homemade garam masala. But you can also use kitchen king masala if you have.

Lastly I have this little tip of pouring some ghee over the hot kala chana before serving. This totally elevates the flavor and taste of the dish. Also ghee aids digestion.

Cooking in pot

If you are using a pot, then it is very important to precook them in water first until soft. Later add them to the onion tomato masala. Black chickpeas will not cook well when they are cooked with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or salt unless pressure cooked.

So always cook them well in plain water until tender. This will ensure they are cooked completely.

Soak them overnight. Drain and cook with 3 cups of water. Keep adding more hot water as they cook. They will take about 1 hour 30 mins to cook tender. Then add them to the onion tomato masala & simmer for 15 to 20 mins so they absorb the flavors.

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