This Sookha Kala Chana is a delicious preparation and a popular Ashtami dish prepared for the Navratri Pooja. Made from black chickpeas, and without the use of onions, it beautifully brings together varied spices and can be enjoyed as is or with plain poori, Methi Poori, or Laccha Paratha.
Here are a few more Kala Chana recipes, which you can try for your high protein meals – Kala Chana Curry, Chana Chaat, Jaisalmeri Kala Chana, and Kadala Curry.
Jump to:
What is Sookha Kala Chana?
Have you ever tried Sookha Kala Chana? If not, try it right now as it is healthy, rich in protein, and super easy to make. You literally need less than 30 minutes to get this ready. Serve it with some hot and puffed Puri and Sooji Halwa, and I am sure you are in for a treat.
Today, I am here with this recipe as this Sookha Kala Chana is one of the most popular recipes prepared as Ashtami or Navmi Prasad during the last day of the Navratri festival.
You can also prepare it for your fasting days, as there is no onion or garlic used in this recipe. You just have to soak and boil Kala Chana and cook it with ghee, hing, jeera, and a few spice powders.
If you don’t know what is Navratri? It is a Hindu festival, where Maa Durga is worshipped for 9 days, for her victory over Mahishasura, or the ultimate victory of ‘Good over Evil’. And thus people fast during these 9 days, to show their faith towards Maa Durga.
Kanjak is celebrated on the 8th day of Navratri, where 9 little girls are welcomed into the house and are showered with delicious bhog and gifts. These girls are called as Kanjaks.
In the Kanjak Poojan or Kanya Poojan meal, this Sookha Kala Chana is served with Poori and Sooji Ka Halwa as a Bhog or Prasad, after offering it to Goddess Durga.
I often cook the Kala Chana beforehand and store it in the fridge, so that it comes in handy when I want to make it for my fasting meals.
This Spicy Dry Kala Chana is,
- Protein-Packed
- Easy + Quick
- No Onion No Garlic
- Filling + Wholesome
- Perfect for fasting days
- A Navratri favorite
Ingredients
Black Chickpeas/Kala Chana – Extremely rich in protein, these are great to include in your diet, especially for vegetarians. Chana is soaked and then pressure cooked before using in the recipe.
Hing Jeera – In this Sookha Kala Chana, we will give a tadka of hing/asafoetida and jeera/cumin seeds. That’s it!
Spice Powders – We will flavor up the Sookha Chana with some basic spice powders such as coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, and fennel powder.
These powders will add a perfect spicy tangy taste to the Sookha Kala Chana, which will make it even more delicious.
Fresh Coriander – Lastly, garnish it with some freshly chopped coriander leaves, to add some color, taste, and a refreshing flavor.
Step By Step Recipe
Wash the kala chana and soak in enough water for 6-8 hours.
Drain the water and add the kala chana in a pressure cooker.
Add 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to the pressure cooker and cook the chana till done. I cooked for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add hing and cumin seeds and let it crackle.
Simmer the heat and add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, and fennel powder and fry for a few seconds.
Add chana along with the water in the pan and cook on medium heat till all the water is absorbed and chana are dried.
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with sooji ka halwa and poori or aloo sabzi.
Frequently asked Questions:
It is important to soak Kala Chana for a few hours before, so that it cooks easily and also becomes more digestible.
If you forgot to soak the Chana, then either you can soak it in hot water for 2-3 hours and then pressure cook it or cook it in more water for about 50 minutes on high pressure and then release the pressure naturally.
If you do not soak it, it takes a comparatively longer time to cook.
Health Benefits of Kala Chana
- Kala Chana is very high in protein, fiber, and highly nutritious.
- Including Kala Chana in your everyday diet lowers cholesterol and controls diabetes.
- It is a great source of iron and vegetarian protein.
- Since kala chana is high in fibers, it aids in weight loss.
- Helps in maintaining the health of the digestive tract.
Serving Suggestions
If you are serving Sookha Kala Chana for Navratri, then serve it along with Poori and Sooji Halwa. This combination is an all-time favorite one!
You can also serve Sookha Kala Chana as a side dish with your everyday meals, or pack it in Lunch Box with some flaky Tawa Parathas or Phulka.
You can also have it on its own as a high protein snack with your evening tea or coffee.
Variations
There are many other ways in which you can cook Kala Chana like a Punjabi Masala version or this Kerala Kadala Curry. You can also make a nice healthy salad using Kala chana as the main ingredient.
Recipe Card
Sookha Kala Chana
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kala Chana/Black Chickpeas
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- ½ teaspoon Hing
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Amchoor Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Powder
Instructions
- Wash the kala chana and soak in enough water for 6-8 hours.
- Drain the water and add the kala chana in a pressure cooker.
- Add 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to the pressure cooker and cook the chana till done. I cooked for one whistle on high heat. Then simmered the heat to low and cooked for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add hing and cumin seeds and let it crackle.
- Simmer the heat and add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, and fennel powder and fry for a few seconds.
- Add chana along with the water in the pan and cook on medium heat till all the water is absorbed and chana are dried.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with sooji ka halwa and poori or aloo sabzi.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!