Have leftover Kaala Chana from Navratri? Try These Kaala Chana Recipes 

The festive season of Navratri brought a lot of fun and excitement. These nine-days were filled with devotion, pandal hopping, and lot of delicious delicacies. From bhog like khichuri to various street foods, this festival brings us a lot of unique traditional recipes. The Ashtami bhog is one of the main attractions; the platter includes khichuri, chorchori, chutney, beguni, luchi, payesh, mishti doi/ roshogolla. Part of north India culminates the nine-day festives with ‘Kanya Puja’ which has the customary halwa chana poori platter as the prasad. Often with uncertainty the over the quantity, many find themselves with leftover kala channa from prasad platter.  

With these five dishes, you can use those leftover kala chana as tea time snack or breakfast: 

Ingredients: 

• 250 gm kale chana 
•  3 slices of brown bread 
•  1 onion (finely chopped) 
•  3 cloves garlic 
• 1/2-inch piece ginger (grated) 
• 3 green chillies (finely chopped) 
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander (finely chopped) 
• 1 tsp garam masala 
•  Salt to taste 
•  Oil for frying 

Method: 

• Grind them in a food processor using minimum water. 
• Add salt, garlic, ginger, green chili, coriander & chopped onion. 
• Now add the bread slices to soak up all the water, in the mixture, one by one. 
• Just keep the slice of bread on the chana mixture, press into it. 
• Then mix it nicely using your hand. Repeat until the water has been absorbed by the bread. 
• Now add the garam masala, mixing thoroughly. 
• Let the mixture stand for an hour. 
• Heat oil for frying. 
• Take a small quantity of mixture on your palm, shape it round & fry till golden brown. 
• Serve with mint chutney.

2. Kala Chana Chaat 

Ingredients: 

• 3 cup cooked black chickpeas 
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 
• 1 large tomato (finely chopped) 
• 2 green chilies (finely chopped) 
• 1 tsp red chili powder  
• 1 tsp chaat masala 
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 
• 1 tsp dried mango powder 
• 2 tsp lemon juice 
• ½ tsp black salt 
• 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

Method: 

• Rinse and then finely chop the onions, tomatoes, green chillies, and coriander leaves. 
• In a large bowl, add all the ingredients including the cooked black chickpeas and mix thoroughly. 
• Taste and if required, add more of the ground spice powders, lemon juice and salt. 
• Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves. Serve Kala Chana Chaat warm. 
• You can also refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours and serve it cold. 
• Before serving, garnish with some coriander leaves and lemon wedges.

3. Tari Poha 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup kala chana 
• 1 plate of poha 
• 2 tsp oil 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
• 3 tbsp cooking oil 
• 1 tsp hing 
• 3 cloves 
• 4 pepper corns 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 tsp goda masala 
• 8 curry leaves  
• Salt to taste  
• 1 cup onions (finely chopped)

Method: 

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. 
• Add bay leaf, cloves and sauté a bit. 
• Add garlic and ginger, sauté them together follow it with onions, sauté till onion starts to change colour and the rawness goes away. 
• Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, curry leaves, goda masala and hing. 
• Finally add the boiled chanas. Let it come to a boil. 
• Take your plate of poha, pour the chana mixture on top.  
• Spruce up your poha with onion, sev, lemon juice and coriander leaves, serve hot. 

4. Kale Chana Rasedaar 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups kale chana 
•  2 cups grated onions 
• 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste 
• 2 tsp garam masala 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds 
• 2 cups grated tomatoes 
• 1 tbsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric  
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds (powdered) 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 2-3 green chillies 
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish 

Method: 

• Heat oil and add cumin and bay leaves. 
• When the cumin splutters, add onions, garlic and ginger. 
• Stir-fry till onions are well fried and fat separates. 
• Add tomatoes and stir fry till fat separates once again. 
• Add salt, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder and turn around a till well mixed. 
• Add the chana and green chillies and turn around a few times over high heat. 
• Measure the liquid, make it up to four cups with water and add to the beans and bring to a boil and then simmer, till the gravy is well blended, and not watery.

5. Kala Chana Soup 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked kala chana 
• 2 sticks of celery (chopped) 
• 2 garlic pods (roughly chopped) 
• 1-inch ginger (finely chopped) 
•  1 cup of chopped veggies 
• 1 can roasted tomatoes 
• 1 tsp spice mix  
• Cilantro and ginger julienne to garnish 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 tsp cooking oil  

Method: 

• Set the instant pot to a sauté mode and add oil. 
• Add garlic and celery, sauté well. Now add ginger and mix well. 
• Now add veggies and sauté for a minute. 
• Add the spice mix and give a good stir. Mix in the tomatoes and add kala chana with broth. Mix well. 
• Now add a cup of water or broth. Set the instant pot to soup mode and set for 20 minutes. Once it beeps, wait for natural pressure to release. 
• Open the lid and garnish with cilantro and ginger julienne. 
• Smash some of the chickpeas with the back of the ladle.

Serve warm with some lime juice.