This past weekend demoing at the Whole Foods in Willowbrook, I showcased one of the best-kept Indian food secrets - kala chana, or black chickpeas, high in protein and meatier in texture than their white counterpart.
Not one person knew what they were trying, but once they did, they were sold! Here's an easy recipe for kala chana made with my Punjabi Masala, which is just onion/ginger/garlic/turmeric ground down into a paste.
Makes 6 cups
There are a few ways to cook kala chana. First, there’s the question of ‘to soak or not to soak?’ I say, if you can find the time to do it, do. It helps move the process along and it also helps pull out any ‘antinutrients’ – what may cause slight gassiness later. Ideally, soak overnight, but it’s okay to soak at least 2 hours. I recommend using boiling water if you don’t have the time to soak overnight as that just speeds everything along.
You can also make these in the slow cooker. The ratio for a 5-quart slow cooker is 3 cups dried kala chana, 7 cups water, cooked on high for about 9 hours (no need to soak, but again you can). Once again, use boiling instead of room temperature water to reduce the cooking time by 1-2 hours.
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