Kabli Channa
Kabli channa is a North Indian dish of whole chickpeas simmered with tomato, onion, ginger and whole spices. The dish is also known as chole and belongs to Punjab and Delhi, where it is eaten daily — often for breakfast with bhatura or puri, or as lunch with rice.
It is a simple dish, but it requires planning. The chickpeas must be soaked overnight, and the soaking water is used as the cooking liquid so the flavour does not go down the drain. Whole cinnamon and cloves provide depth, and garam masala goes in at the end to preserve its aroma.
The dish is earthy and warmly spiced, with a thick, savoury sauce that the chickpeas absorb during the simmer. It is filling and relatively mild, with the garam masala finishing the flavour at the end.
Use whole dried chickpeas — not canned chickpeas and not lentils. The difference lies in texture and structure; canned chickpeas break apart during the long simmer.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 250 g whole chickpeas
- 7.5 dl water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 piece cinnamon (2.5 cm)
- 4 cloves
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 piece fresh ginger (2.5 cm), chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 150 g tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves, freshly chopped, for garnish
Directions
Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and leave them to soak in the 7.5 dl of water overnight. They need a minimum of 8 hours.
Drain the chickpeas but save the soaking water — it will be used to simmer the dish.
Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden, 6–8 minutes.
Add the cinnamon stick and cloves and fry briefly until the spices are fragrant.
Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and ground coriander seeds. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks like a coarse masala.
Stir in the chickpeas and fry them with the masala for 5 minutes over low heat.
Pour in the reserved soaking water and add the salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20–25 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
Sprinkle over the garam masala and stir well.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately with rice, bhatura or puri.
Notes
Soaking time is critical. Too little, and the chickpeas will never become fully tender — even with a longer simmer. At least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Fish out the cinnamon stick and cloves before serving if you like — they are a bit hard to bite into.
The chilli quantity can be adjusted. Two green chillies give a decent heat. Remove the seeds for a milder version.
The dish keeps for 2–3 days in the fridge and improves with time.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Green Chutney
