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 made 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. These black chickpeas are extremely good for health as they are low in fat, high in dietary fibre, packed with protein, rich in vitamin and minerals and have low GI. 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.
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 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! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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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.
