Dry Kala Chana (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

🥘 Ingredients

• avocado
• black chickpeas
  2 cups
• cayenne or red chili powder
  1 tsp
• cilantro
  1/4 cup
• coriander powder
  2 tsp
• cumin seeds
  1 tsp
• dry mango powder
  2 tsp
• ginger (freshly grated)
  2 tsp
• green chili pepper (diced)
  1
• ground cumin
  1 tsp
• lemon juice
• mango
• oil
  2 tbsp
• onion (diced)
  1
• salt
• tomatoes (diced)
  1
• water
  about 3 inches above the chickpeas, 1 cup, 2 cups

🍳 Cookware

• pressure cooker
• pressure cooker
• pressure cooker
• pressure cooker

1. 1

   Wash the dry black chickpeas under running cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak in enough water for at least ⏱️ 6 hours or overnight. After the soaking time is done, discard the water.

   black chickpeas: 2 cups, water: about 3 inches above the chickpeas
2. 📝

   If you forget to soak overnight, soak in hot water for ~{1-2%hours}.

3. 2

   Start the pressure cooker in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil and cumin seeds . Let the cumin seeds splutter for about ⏱️ 30 seconds .

   oil: 2 tbsp, cumin seeds: 1 tsp
4. 3

   Add coriander powder , ground cumin , cayenne or red chili powder , and salt to the oil and mix them. Quickly add the soaked black chickpeas and mix them with the spices.

   coriander powder: 2 tsp, ground cumin: 1 tsp, cayenne or red chili powder: 1 tsp, salt, black chickpeas
5. 4

   Stir in water for cooking. Press cancel, then close the lid with the vent in sealing position.

   water: 1 cup
6. 5

   Cook in manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for ⏱️ 30 minutes . When the pressure cooker beeps, do a natural pressure release.
7. 6

   Add dry mango powder and mix it well with the black chickpeas . If there is liquid in the pot, you can put it on sauté mode again to dry it. It will also dry off as the chickpeas cool down.

   dry mango powder: 2 tsp, black chickpeas
8. 7

   Garnish with cilantro . Enjoy dry black chickpeas with puri and halwa. Another great way to enjoy these is as a high-protein salad. Add diced onion , tomatoes , and lemon juice . Other add-ons that work great are diced mango or avocado .

   cilantro: 1/4 cup, black chickpeas, onion: 1 (diced), tomatoes: 1 (diced), lemon juice, mango, avocado
9. 8

   Drain the black chickpeas and add them to a pressure cooker along with water .

   black chickpeas, water: 2 cups
10. 9

    Pressure cook the black chickpeas in a stovetop pressure cooker on high heat. After the first whistle, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for ⏱️ 20-22 minutes (about ⏱️ 6-7 whistles ). Allow the pressure to release naturally, then open the lid.

    black chickpeas
11. 10

    Drain the black chickpeas , but reserve the liquid. It can be used in roti dough or dals. We will also use some later when sautéing.

    black chickpeas
12. 11

    Add all the spices and dry mango powder to a small bowl and mix them with 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid.

    dry mango powder
13. 12

    Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and add cumin seeds to it. Let them sizzle for about ⏱️ 30 seconds . Add the diced green chili pepper and ginger , if using.

    oil, cumin seeds, green chili pepper: 1 (diced), ginger: 2 tsp (freshly grated)
14. 13

    Add the drained black chickpeas and half a cup of the reserved water . Add the spice mixture and give it all a good mix.

    black chickpeas, water
15. 14

    Let the black chickpeas cook for ⏱️ 5-7 minutes , then take them off the heat. The water will all be absorbed by this time.

    black chickpeas, water
16. 15

    Garnish with cilantro . Enjoy sookha black chickpeas with puri and halwa, or with dal, rice, and roti.

    cilantro, black chickpeas