Kala Chana Recipe is a hearty Indian curry made with black chickpeas cooked with onions, tomatoes, and basic spices. Served as a lunch or dinner with jeera rice or roti.
Kala Chana, also known as black chickpeas or desi chana, are small, firm brown/ black chickpeas. My mom would make it almost every weekend, and there were always two versions on the table — one dry and one with gravy.
The dry kala chana felt more like a snack or salad, which later inspired me to make my kala chana salad, while the gravy version was usually paired with rice. One combination I’ve always loved is kala chana with navratri suji halwa and poori — a meal that still feels special every time it’s made.
This Kala Chana Recipe is made with onion, tomato, and garlic, and simmered to have a thick curry texture. The addition of my homemade Chana masala makes it perfectly spicy. Team it with jeera rice, roti, or have it as is for a hearty lunch.
Not a fan of black chickpeas, find my favorite Punjabi Chana Masala.
Find popular collection- Indian Lunch recipes and Indian breakfast recipes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact measurement of the ingredients.
- Kala Chana- I have used a local brand, Tata Sampann. You may use any local brand. The image above shows overnight soaked kala chana.
- Sesame oil for tempering.
- Onion, Tomato, Green Chili, Garlic, Cilantro (coriander leaves for garnishing).
- Indian spices- cumin seeds (jeera), red chili powder, turmeric powder, authentic garam masala, amchoor, and homemade chana masala. If you can't make this spice blend at home, buy Chana masala from GM Foods or SDS Masala.
How To Make Kala Chana Curry
Step 1. Soak Kala Chana
Take the dry chana and sort it to remove any pebbles or other impurities. Soak it in a large pot filled with water. The water should be filled to the top, and the pot/container should be covered with a lid. soaking overnight works best or 6- 8 hrs minimum.
Step 2. Prep and boil Chana
In a large pressure cooker, add soaked black chickpeas, water, and salt. Make sure not to use the water in which they were soaked. Add water 1 inch deep and pressure cook for two whistles on full and slow cook for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Temper Chana
While Chana are getting cooked, in a wok, prep the onion tomato gravy. I prefer chopping onions, grating garlic and tomatoes.
In a heavy-bottomed wok, heat sesame oil. Add cumin seeds, green chilies, garlic, and onions. Once onions are browned, add tomatoes. Add all spices and cook till the tomatoes leave oil. This takes about 5 minutes on a slow flame.
Add boiled chickpeas along with the water. Let the water evaporate till the gravy is thickened. This takes about 5-8 minutes. Top with Garam masala and amchoor and mix well.
Step 4. Serve It
The Kala Chana Curry is ready. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with jeera rice, poori, or roti.
Expert Tips
- Soak kala chana overnight; unsoaked chana stays hard even after pressure cooking, and let the pressure release naturally for softer chickpeas.
- Use the leftover cooking water in the curry or have it as a clear soup.
- Store leftover kala chana curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, kala chana should be soaked before cooking to make it soft when pressure-cooked. A minimum of 6-8 hrs of soaking is needed. Use hot water to soak if reducing soaking time.
Black chana can be used to make a variety of everyday dishes, both dry and with gravy. You can this kala chana curry, kala chana chaat, or add it as a filling to cutlets or wraps or mash it to make tikkis or kebabs.
The best way to cook kala chana is to soak it overnight and then pressure cook it until soft. This ensures the chickpeas cook evenly and hold their shape without turning mushy.
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Kala Chana Recipe (Black Chickpeas Curry)
Equipment
- pot for soaking chana
- heavy wok for tempering chana
- Pressure cooker or instant pot for cooking chana
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups Kala Chana Tata Sampann.
- 2 teaspoon Sesame oil for tempering.
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 medium Tomato grated
- 1 small Green Chili chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds jeera
- 2 teaspoon chana masala buy Chana masala from GM Foods or SDS Masala.
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder adjust the heat
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon amchoor 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 twigs Cilantro coriander leaves for garnishing.
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Take the dry chana and sort it to remove any pebbles or other impurities. Soak it in a large pot filled with water. The water should be filled to the top, and the pot/container should be covered with a lid. soaking overnight works best or 6- 8 hrs minimum.
- In a large pressure cooker, add soaked black chickpeas, water, and salt. Make sure not to use the water in which they were soaked. Add water 1 inch deep and pressure cook for two whistles on full and slow cook for 15 minutes.
- While Chana are getting cooked, in a wok, prep the onion tomato gravy. I prefer chopping onions, grating garlic and tomatoes.
- In a heavy-bottomed wok, heat sesame oil. Add cumin seeds, green chilies, garlic, and onions. Once onions are browned, add tomatoes. Add all spices and cook till the tomatoes leave oil. This takes about 5 minutes on a slow flame.
- Add boiled chickpeas along with the water. Let the water evaporate till the gravy is thickened. This takes about 5-8 minutes. Top with Garam masala and amchoor and mix well.
- The Kala Chana Curry is ready. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with jeera rice, poori, or roti.
Video
Notes
- Soak kala chana overnight; unsoaked chana stays hard even after pressure cooking, and let the pressure release naturally for softer chickpeas.
- Use the leftover cooking water in the curry or have it as a clear soup.
- Store leftover kala chana curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 bowl | |
| Servings: 3 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 258 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 6.8g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 0.9g | 5% |
| Cholesterol 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium 81mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate 40g | 15% |
| Dietary Fiber 11g | 39% |
| Total Sugars 8.8g | |
| Protein 11.9g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 78mg | 6% |
| Iron 5mg | 28% |
| Potassium 642mg | 14% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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