This Black Chickpea Curry or Kala Chana nu Shaak is a Gujarati style curry. Black chickpeas are simmered in a sweet and tangy tomato tamarind gravy. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
- Ingredients notes
- Serving Suggestion
- Storage
- Other Gujarati shaak/kathol recipes
Kala chana curry can be prepared dry or with a gravy. This particular recipe is also known as Rasadar or Rasawala Kala Chana nu Shaak because of the gravy. The gravy is tomato-based and it’s a curry without onion and garlic .
Kala chana are often made on Fridays in Gujarati households and served with kadhi, rice and rotli.
To make the curry, you first need to soak then cook the dried chickpeas until they are tender. The next step is to prepare the tomato gravy, then add the cooked chickpeas and simmer until the gravy is thick.
Ingredients notes
Kala chana
Kala Chana (kala-black, chana- chickpea) are also known as Desi Chana in India. These Black chickpeas are smaller in size, have a rough outer layer and are regular in most Gujarati kitchens. I even use it to make black chickpea hummus .
You can either soak and cook dried black chickpeas or use tinned chickpeas. I personally prefer to cook my chickpeas from scratch as tinned chickpeas tend to be too hard for a curry.
You can crush a few spoons of chickpeas until they resemble a paste then add to the curry to thicken it.
Tomatoes – I use passata, you can use fresh crushed tomatoes or tomatoes from a tin that have been pureed.
Ginger and green chillies – fresh crushed ginger and green chillies
Curry leaves
Cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon – whole spices are added to the tempering
Spice powders – red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin coriander powder and garam masala
Tamarind – soak a small piece of tamarind in water, then use the tamarind water in this recipe. Alternatively, use a small amount of tamarind paste.
Jaggery – adds sweetness to the gravy to give that classic gujarati taste. You can alternatively use sugar.
Serving Suggestion
Kala Chana nu Shaak is best served in a Gujarati thali alongside Gujarati kadhi , boiled basmati rice and Gujarati rotli .
I have also seen kala chana paired with sooji no siro and perfectly puffed up poori for Navratri Ashtami and Kanjak Puja.
Storage
Store leftover shaak in an airtight container and place in the fridge as soon as it reaches room temperature. It will keep in the fridge up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or microwave.
Kala chana freezes well. Place in a freezer safe container and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave or allow to thaw at room temperature.
Other Gujarati shaak/kathol recipes
Tuvar nu Shaak
Mag nu Shaak
Khatta Mag
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Kala Chana nu Shaak (Black Chickpea Curry)
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 250 gram black chickpea dried, unsoaked
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 100 gram tomato puree or passata
- 1 tablespoon green chilli and ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- pinch hing asafoetida
- 2 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoon cumin coriander powder
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon tamarind water or pulp
- 2 tablespoon jaggery
- coriander for garnishing
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Clean and thoroughly wash kala chana and soak at least 10-12 hours or overnight.
- Discard the water, rinse once more and pressure cook chana until tender.
- Take a few spoons of cooked chana and crush with little water in a blender. Set aside for later.
- In a kadai, heat oil and add cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon bark.
- Once they sizzle, add hing curry leaves, chilli ginger paste and tomato puree.
- Allow the tomato puree to cook until oil releases.
- Add all the spice powders and mix well.
- Now add the cooked kala chana with water and salt.
- Add crushed chana paste, mix well.
- Let the curry cook for 10-12 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
- Add jaggery and tamarind water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in April 2017.
Kala Chana nu Shaak (Black Chickpea Curry)
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 250 gram black chickpea dried, unsoaked
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 100 gram tomato puree or passata
- 1 tablespoon green chilli and ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- pinch hing asafoetida
- 2 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoon cumin coriander powder
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon tamarind water or pulp
- 2 tablespoon jaggery
- coriander for garnishing
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Clean and thoroughly wash kala chana and soak at least 10-12 hours or overnight.
- Discard the water, rinse once more and pressure cook chana until tender.
- Take a few spoons of cooked chana and crush with little water in a blender. Set aside for later.
- In a kadai, heat oil and add cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon bark.
- Once they sizzle, add hing curry leaves, chilli ginger paste and tomato puree.
- Allow the tomato puree to cook until oil releases.
- Add all the spice powders and mix well.
- Now add the cooked kala chana with water and salt.
- Add crushed chana paste, mix well.
- Let the curry cook for 10-12 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
- Add jaggery and tamarind water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Black Chickpea Hummus is a smooth dip made with black chickpeas instead of regular chickpeas. It has a nuttier and earthier flavour compared with regular hummus that you just have to try! Naturally vegan and gluten-free, it takes just 5 minutes to make.
For an alternative to regular hummus made with white chickpeas, try black chickpea hummus!
You can easily use black chickpeas, sometimes labelled kala chana, from a tin or cook your own at home.
The dip couldn’t be simpler to make: simply blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and serve.
The result is a super smooth and silky dip that is delicious enough to serve at dinner parties. It has a complex flavour and is heartier.
For more hummus variations, why not try:
- Chestnut Hummus
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Caramelized Onion Hummus
- Turkish Hummus
- Roasted Carrot Hummus
Ingredients notes
Black chickpeas – you can easily find tinned black chickpeas in the grocery store – you might see them labelled as kala chana. You need to wash and drain the chickpea before use. You can also cook your own black chickpeas from raw.
Tahini – for a more intense colour, try black sesame seeds tahini.
Garlic – to experiment with flavours, try black garlic cloves.
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Cumin powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional – ice cubes. Adding ice gives the hummus a light and whipped texture as the tiny air bubbles found in the ice are incorporated into the mixture.
Optional for garnishing: coriander or parsley, paprika, sesame seeds.
Serving suggestion
Serve with vegetable crudites, such as cucumber or carrots, or warmed pita chips.
I love black chickpea hummus with crusty bread, like this Instant Pot Bread .
Make it part of a mezze with falafel and salads. You could also spread it in a falafel sandwich .
Storage
You can easily store this hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ensure that you use fresh chickpeas for this recipe that are well in date to extend the shelf life.
You can freeze hummus for up to 3 months. Place in a freezer safe container and top with a layer of olive oil. This helps to keep the hummus creamy when it thaws. Note that the taste and texture may change.
Other black chickpea recipes
Kala Chana nu Shaak (Black Chickpea Curry)
Kala Chana Chaat
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Black Chickpea Hummus
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 250 gram black chickpeas cooked and drained weight
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 cubes ice
Optional garnishes
- pinch paprika
- sesame seeds
- coriander leaves
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food blender (saving a handful of chickpeas for garnish) and blend until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- You may need to add small amounts of cold water.
- Serve in a serving plate or bowl and garnish with paprika, sesame seeds, the remaining chickpeas, herbs and drizzled olive oil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
