Dish of Spiced Chickpeas
(click to enlarge)

Spiced Chickpeas


India   -   Kabuli Chana
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 side
**
1-1/2 hrs
Better		 An easy to make and very flavorful side dish suitable for both Indian and American menus. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare Chickpeas.

1
2-1/2
1/2
------
1
1
1/2
1/2
1-1/2
1/2
------
1/2
1/8
2
1
------
1

c
c
T
---
t
t
t
t
t
t
---
t
t
T
T
---
T

Chickpeas (1)
Water
Salt (2)
-- Spices
Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds
Turmeric
Chili Powder (2)
Amchoor powder (3)
Salt
---------
Cumin seeds whole
Asafoetida (4)
Oil
Lemon Juice
-- Garnish --
Cilantro
Green Chili, mild
Do Ahead   -   (8-1/4 hrs - 15 minutes work)
  1. Put the CHICKPEAS in a jar with about 2-1/2 cups of water and 1/2 T Salt. Soak at least 8 hours.
Prep   -   (1 hr)
  1. Drain and rinse Chickpeas. Place in a sauce pan with water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer covered 1 hour or until tender. Drain, but reserve cooking liquid.
  2. Grind together all Spices items.
  3. Mix 1/2 t Cumin Seeds (second instance) with Asafoetida.
  4. Squeeze Lemon Juice.
  5. Chop Cilantro and Chili for garnish.
RUN   -   (15 min)
  1. Heat OIL. Stir in Cumin / Asafoetida mix for just a few seconds, then stir in drained Chickpeas and Spices mix. Fry stirring 2 minutes, then add 1 cup of the reserved Cooking Liquid. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until liquid is almost, but not entirely, gone (about 10 minutes).
  2. Stir in Lemon Juice and turn off heat.
  3. Serve garnished with Cilantro and chopped Green Chili.
NOTES:

  1. Chickpeas:

      If dried, make sure they are no more than a year old or they may not cook tender. Of course, you can really shortcut the time for this recipe by using a good brand of canned chickpeas (2 15 ounce cans).

  2. Salt:

      Recent tests have shown that beans soaked in salt brine will be more tender, cook faster and stay more intact than beans soaked without salt. For details see our Working with Beans page.

  3. Chili Powder:

      Reshampatti is a good choice for this dish. The given amount will yield a satisfyingly spicy dish by Southern Californis standards - folks from the Fozen North may disagree - use your own best judgement. For details see our Indian Chilis.

  4. Amchoor Powder:

      This is Green Mango, dried and powdered, a common souring agent in India. Other souring agents could be used, including lemon juice. For details see our Sours page.
  5. Asafoetida   (Hing) This resin is used by people in India who are forbidden onions by religious prohibition. The amount given is for pure asafoetida, use about 3 times as much for "hing powder" which is cut with rice flour. For details see our Asafoetida page.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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