Don’t Miss Adding Hara Chana To Your Diet This Winter!
Image Credit: Seasonal Hara Chana

One of the best parts about winter is the abundance of fresh vegetables that flood our local markets. While winter greens and berries are delightful, of course, the season is also ideal for a lot of healthy vegetables like green peas, broccoli, carrots and hara chana or chholai, as it is more commonly known. If you haven’t had a chance to sample what this seasonal and locally-grown ingredient is so far, look for green pods stuck to branches being sold in your local veggie market.

Like most other chickpea varieties, the hara chana is also protein rich and full of vitamins. Traditionally eaten as fillings in parathas, or in curries with meat, or just plain rice, the wonderfully green variant is a fresh version of the dry peas available in grocery shops all year round. With the culinary landscape of India evolving and moving towards a more global palette, deep-fried seasonal hara chana is a common feature in place of the usual bar nibbles in many restaurants around the country. The hara chana gets a twist with an Indian breakfast staple, the cheela, which can be eaten as breakfast or a light tea time snack. Find the recipe to follow:

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Hara Chana ka Cheela

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 250 grams fresh green chana
  • 1 tablespoon chickpea flour
  • 1 tablespoon rice flour
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 inch piece ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ onion
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil/ghee for pan frying

Method:

  • Steam the green chana in a pressure cooker for 5-10 minutes and set aside. In a blender jar, add the green chickpeas, ginger, garlic, onion, cumin seeds and grind coarsely. Add some water and grind until it is the consistency of a thin pancake batter.
  • Pour into a vessel and season with salt. Mix well and add the chickpea and rice flour and stir to avoid any lumps. Heat a spoon of oil in a frying pan and ladle the batter into small, round discs. Cook for two minutes on one side and when the edges start to cook and brown, flip them over and cook for another two minutes. Serve warm with green chutney or ketchup.