Kala Chana Palak | Black Chickpeas-Spinach Dry Curry

Kala Chana Palak | Black Chickpeas-Spinach Dry Curry

Author: Rumki Paul
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3-4 Persons

Kala Chana Palak is a hugely popular north Indian Vegan dish. It is the combination of boiled Kala Chana (Black Chickpeas) and Palak (Spinach) with Onions, Tomatoes and Spices. It pairs up superb with any Indian flat bread to fulfil a meal and is an excellent side with Rice items too.

Kala Chana Palak can be prepared in multiple ways like Kala Chana Palak ki sukhi sabzi, Kala Chana Palak with gravy, No Onion-Garlic Kala Chana Palak. Today I am going to share with you the Dry Curry of Kala Chana Palak. It’s a very easy recipe which requires very less effort and limited ingredients to prepare.

I had this dish, for the first time, in a north Indian dhaba-style restaurant and I loved the preparation. Then I decided to prepare this comfort dish at home. My family loved the preparation and admired my cooking. Since then Kala Chana Palak has captured the place of our regular dine, specially, in vegan days of the week.

Kala Chana Palak is mostly renowned for its unique combination of superb taste and its nutritious values. It is a very healthy dish and is equally salivating too. It is an extraordinary healthy dish which contains the nutrients of Kala Chana and the goodness of greens, I mean Spinach. Before jumping into the recipe, I like to share few interesting facts about these two magical ingredients which compliments the dish as one of the Healthiest Vegan Dish.

Health benefits of Kala Chana | Black Chickpeas

Health benefits of Palak | Spinach

What type of Black chickpeas to be used for the recipe?

In this preparation, I have preferred to use canned black Chickpeas. It reduces the effort as well as time of cooking of the dish.

I have used both the Spinach leaves and its stems for the dish. First, I have washed the Spinach in a colander thoroughly and then chopped them finely.

In addition to Spinach and black Chickpeas, I have also used Onions, tomatoes, green chillies and ginger garlic paste, for the recipe.

I have used Bay leaf, Cardamoms, Cinnamon sticks, Cloves and Cumin seeds for tempering. I prefer to use these whole spices for tempering rather than using Garam Masala powder at the end of cooking. According to me, Khara masala (Whole Spice) gives better aroma to the dish. I have used little bit of Cumin powder and Coriander powder for flavouring of the dish.

Kala Chana Palak can be a great addition to your regular diet to make your regular daily meal special. It can be a great companion with rice items and flat breads.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana), canned
• 2 cups Spinach (Palak), washed and chopped
• 1 large Onion, thin sliced
• 1 Tomato, deseeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 2 Green Chillies
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/3 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 Cinnamon stick, 2 inches (Dalchini)
• 3 Small Cardamoms (Choti Elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Lavang)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking

1. Add Oil into the pan and wait until the Oil is hot.
2. Add Bay leaf, Cinnamon stick, Cardamom, Cloves, Cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
   

3. Add Onion slices and mix them and mix them with the spices.
   

4. Cook them in medium high flame for 2 minutes till they become translucent.
5. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and give a nice mix.
   

6. Cook them in medium flame until the raw smell goes away.
7. Add green Chillies and cook them for another minute.
   

8. Add Tomatoes and mix them nicely with the masala.
   

9. Cover the pan and cook them in low flame 2 minutes.
10. Add Salt, Turmeric powder and stir them thoroughly.
    

11. Add canned black Chickpeas and give a nice mix.
    

12. Cover the pan and cook them for couple of minutes.
13. Add chopped Spinach into the pan.
    

14. Mix them thoroughly and cover the pan.
15. Cook them in low flame for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
16. Cook them until the spinach leaves get tender.
17. Add Cumin powder, Coriander powder and mix them thoroughly with rest of the ingredient.
    

18. Cook them in lowest flame for another minute and switch off the flame.

1. Soak the Kala Chana overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
2. Then wash the Kala Chana properly until clear water appears.
3. Transfer the Kala Chana into a pressure cooker.
4. Add enough quantity of water into the pressure cooker.
5. Add some salt and stir the water.
6. Close the lid and cook it till 1 whistle in high flame.
7. After 1st whistle put the flame in low and cook till another 4 whistles.
8. Let the pressure settle down.
9. Check whether the Chana is done or not.
10. If not, then close the lid and cook till 2 more whistles.Note : Number whistles may vary due to temperature, quantity, utensils, quality of Kala Chana and heat of flame.