This is a traditional dish of Himachal Pradesh and a speciality of Dham ( Traditional Pahaadi Festive Lunch from the Kangra Valley) which is cooked by special cooks. They do the cooking preparations throughout the night for various Dham Dishes.
Pahaadi Kaala Chana Khatta, which means a tangy black gram curry from the mountains. This dish does not have any onion and garlic. It is cooked in mustard oil just with spice powders and a little gram flour for thickening the gravy. Amchoor powder (dry mango powder) is liberally used for tanginess and a little bit of jaggery to balance the taste.
You can relish this curry with rice, puris or rotis.
Ingredients:
Kaala chana .... 1/2 cup
Mustard oil ...... 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds ..... 1 tsp
Fennel seeds ..... 1 tsp
Crushed fenugreek seeds .. 1/4 tsp
Besan / gram flour ..... 1 tbsp
Amchoor powder .... 1 tbsp (add more if you like)
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder ... 1 tsp
Cumin powder ......... 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida ............. 1 pinch
Salt ..................... to taste
Jaggery ............. 1/2 tsp
Method:
Soak the black gram over night and pressure cook it with little salt. Drain it and keep the water for the gravy.
In a pan heat the mustard oil to a smoking point and reduce the flame. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.
When the crackle add the spice powders.
Next add the besan.
Saute well until it gives out a nice aroma.
Now add the water set aside after boiling the chana.
Tip in the boiled chana and add salt and jaggery.
Cook on low flame for few minutes keeping the desired consistency of the gravy.
Recipe Source - My Diverse Kitchen
Recipe Credits - The Sood Family Cookbook
Delicious looking kala channa curry Shobha, I'll have to try this as the tangy and sightly sweet taste is tempting me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mayuri.
DeleteI have to explore a bit more about the pahadi cuisine. For the last challenge, I had made the Chana Madra and loved it to bits. Now this recipe sounds even more interesting. The valley has such great protein based filling gravy options that one doesnt need anything more to complete a meal. A simple salad on the side and you are sorted.
ReplyDeleteI also got to know more about Pahadi recipes form Chef Ajay Chopra's food show Northern Tadka.
DeleteIt looks very yummy :) I've never had pahadi cuisine, but I do make a similar kala chana curry, Gujarati style. It is the same except that they use tamarind instead of amchur, pretty interesting to learn different variations across cuisines.
ReplyDeleteTrue Freda.. I also like experimenting a variety of dishes from many cuisines.
DeleteThe pahadi Kala chana sounds so flavorful and aromatic di ! Tangy ,mildly sweet..would love to try this recipe soon.
ReplyDeleteYes Poonam.. really different and nice. Do try it.
DeleteThanks
This pahadi version looks flavourful. It makes a good accompaniment with flat breads too.
ReplyDeleteYes, it can be served with rotis as well. Thanks
DeleteThis pahadi chana looks so similar to Gujarati recipe, loving the no onion garlic recipe.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is made for Dham festivities..
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