Kala chana or brown chickpea curry is a flavorful North Indian dish that’s so simple to make in an Instant Pot!
Kala Chana Curry
This is a simple Punjabi vegetarian dish that goes perfectly with rice or roti. It calls for kala chana also known as black chickpeas – though I call them brown chickpeas because that’s what they look like to me.
This brown chickpea curry is a bit saucy and it’s also well spiced but not necessarily spicy – you can easily adapt the heat level by adding more cayenne/red chili powder.
Brown chickpeas have a tasty nutty flavor to them and they’re pretty dense. I think they have a “meaty” quality to them which is why I think this dish is great to serve on a meatless Monday or really any day you want to eat a vegetarian meal.
“I have made a double-batch of this at least three times in the last three months and it is always a hit. My family loves it and a guest who stayed with us for a week asked if we could take out this particular dish at least once everyday! Thanks again Ashley.”
Ruki M.
How are Brown Chickpeas Different Than White Chickpeas?
If you’ve never tried brown chickpeas before, they have a bit of a nutty flavor and are denser when compared to garbanzo beans/chickpeas. This is how I like to describe the difference: if you press a cooked white chickpea between your fingers, it’ll easily smush whereas, with a brown chickpea, you have to press a little harder to smush it. I know that’s probably a strange way to describe the texture but it makes sense, right?
As I mentioned, brown chickpeas have a “meaty” quality. While they do soften after cooking, they don’t absorb much liquid or break down the way other legumes or lentils do. Because of this reason, I only use a little water in this recipe.
I love cooking with brown chickpeas and already have a couple of recipes on the blog that call for them. There’s my recipe for Kadala Coconut Curry which is a south Indian Keralite recipe and is very different from the north Indian curry I’m sharing today. I also have a Sookha Kala Chana recipe which is a “dry” brown chickpea dish – perfect for snacking on alongside a cup of Chai and/or some puris (fried Indian bread).
If you are interested in learning more about Indian Legumes, I’ve written a blog post all about them – be sure to check it out 🙂
Can I Make This Curry with Onion Masala?
Yes! Omit the onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato sauce in the recipe and replace it with ¾ cup of onion masala. Also, be sure to add an additional ½ cup of water (for a total of 1 ½ cups). You can keep the remaining spices the same.
Serve this brown chickpea curry over Basmati Rice, roti or just eat a bowl of this on its own!
Kala Chana Curry
Kala Chana Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown chickpeas kala chana, soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Spices
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried mango powder amchur
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup canned tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Soak the brown chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button, add the oil and allow it to heat up for a minute. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds to the pot. Once the cumin seeds turn brown, add the onions and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, brown chickpeas, water and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 45 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure.
- If you prefer a thicker curry, you can reduce the liquid by pressing the sauté button once the dish is done.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Lorraine McCall says
Hi, Ashley!
I made this recipe once before and must have done something wrong because I didn’t love it. But, I’ve since become a big Kala Chana fan – as a crunchy snack with the chickpeas barely sprouting. So, I thought I’d give it another go. This time around, I gave the Chana a really good soak, more like 12 hours than overnight. Now I’m sorry I didn’t double the recipe! It’s fabulous! And like all. your recipes, so easy.
I was sad I couldn’t ❤️ it – make it a favorite. for some reason, some of the recipes no longer seem to have this feature. The Kerala Kadala Curry doesn’t have it either. Also, while it’s not a big deal, I enjoyed the little puzzles which also went wherever the little favorite buttons went (cavorting in the universe with single socks, perhaps?). Have a great day!
Miriam says
I love, love, love this recipe! I haven’t been able to find the brown chick peas, but use regular chickpeas and reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes. The flavor is even better the second day, so leftovers make great lunches! I have a mini one serving crockpot that I bring into work. My coworkers always remark about how good this smells while it is heating up.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Miriam, I’m so glad you love this recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Ruki Mazumdar says
I have made a double-batch of this at least three times in the last three months and it is always a hit. My family loves it and a guest who stayed with us for a week asked if we could take out this particular dish at least once everyday! :-0
Thanks again Ashley.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ruki, that’s so great to hear! Glad you’re making and enjoying this so often – and that your guest liked it so much too!
Sophie says
I think I would have preferred a little more gravy, but I can adjust for that! I made it with the tomato onion masala. A happy introduction to brown chickpeas. 🙂
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Sophie – and yes, can definitely adjust to your preference 🙂
Anita Puri says
Your recipes continue to amaze me! This one is no exception. The chanas turned out perfectly soft and the curry was delicious… just the right flavor of the spices used. Thank you for creating these delicious recipes.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Anita! I’m so glad you liked this recipe 🙂
Amit says
As always a thoroughly researched and tested recipe! It turned out great!
Thanks for sharing,
Amit
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Amit! I’m glad you liked this recipe so much 🙂