Punjabi Chana Food

PUNJABI CHANA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Purée mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and place over medium heat. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed (up to 1 1/2 cups) to prevent burning. When ready to serve, sauce should be thick. If necessary, uncover pan and allow sauce to reduce for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until desired consistency. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed and serve with cooked rice, if desired.

KHATTA CHANNA ( A PUNJABI INDIAN SPECIALITY CHICKPEAS DISH)

Steps:

• Soak the black channa overnight in a large bowl with lots of water.
• The water level should be atleast 3 inches above the level of the black channa{chickpeas}.
• The next morning, drain out the water completely and wash the channa in a bowl of fresh and clean water.
• Now, put the washed channa in a large pot.
• Add water{should be 2-3 inches over the level of the chickpeas}.
• Boil the chickpeas on high heat.
• Heat oil in a pot.
• Add asafoetida, fenugreek, corriander, turmeric and red chilli powders with salt to taste.
• Mix well and stir-fry for a few seconds.
• Prepare tamarind water by dissolving a lemon-sized piece of tamarind in 1/2 cup of HOT water.
• Squeeze the tamarind ball really hard to let its juices flow into the water.
• Pass this through a strainer and into a bowl.
• Your tamarind water is ready.
• In a bowl, dissolve the gramflour in 3 tbsps.
• of water.
• Mix this really well ensuring that no lumps remain.
• Add this mixture and the tamarind water to the pot containing all the spice powders{masalas}.
• Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Lower flame, add the boiled chickpeas, dry mango powder and 2 1/2- 3 cups of water.
• Boil for 10-15 minutes on medium flame.
• Remove from flame.
• Serve hot over a bowl of white long-grain Basmati rice.
• Enjoy!