chana masala UP wala : chane ki ghugni UP style ...

Chana masala generates instant interest for the both of us. And we don't like any tempering with the original recipe of this kale chane ki ghughni.

Original recipe here means the recipe which has been a family favorite for years and has traveled down generations to reach us. The sookha chana masala or sookhi ghugni made on the 8th day of navaratri is the more common in my kitchen when in a hurry. This one is called lipte masale ki ghugni, the spicy gravy almost enveloping each of the chickpea in there.

This is an eastern UP recipe as I have seen it being made almost the same way in many families belonging to that part of the country, minor variations being in the thickness of the gravy or hotness of the spice blend.

Both the chana ghugnis are very different in taste and you can feel the difference as soon as you open the lid of the pressure cooker and the aroma hits you. The presence of onion and garlic and the ginger julienne takes this recipe to another level. I like both the recipes and it actually depends on what I am serving it with when i decide which one to cook. Sookhi ghugni goes well with pooris while this one can accommodate chapatis, parathas or plain boiled rice.

This recipe takes a bit more time as peeling and chopping onion, garlic and ginger takes some 8-10 minutes more than the no chopping, 15 minutes cooking time recipe of the sookhi ghugni. The extra time and work is well worth if you are feeling like a spicy chana masala with paratha, chapati or even with plain boiled rice. A cooling bowl of raita may make you feel royal at such times ...

Make this lipte masale ki ghugni if you have 10 minutes for hand processing and about 15-20 minutes of cooking time.

ingredients....
black chickpeas soaked overnight 3 cups (soaked volume)
dry red chillies 2 nos.
one green chilly slit lengthwise (or more if you like it hot)
sliced onions 1.5 cups
garlic cloves sliced lengthwise 3-4 (small Indian variety, we prefer adding the whole bulb of garlic sometimes)) 
fresh ginger root chopped in fine julienne 1+1 tbsp
every day curry masala 1 tbsp
(a powder made with coriander,cumin,black pepper and bay leaves) 
turmeric powder 2 tsp
mustard oil 1 tbsp
whole cumin seeds 1 tsp
amchoor powder 1-2 tsp*

procedure...

This is cooked in pressure cooker for convenience and time saving. Pan cooking takes long time and only thick base round bottom pans with tight lid are suitable for this kind of recipes. Add about 3 times water than the chickpeas if cooking in a pan and cook covered for about an hour after the initial stir frying.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker pan and throw in the cumin seeds and whole dry red chillies. Wait till they crackle and add in the garlic, 1 tbsp of ginger julienne and onions in that order .

Toss the pan a few times to coat the onions and let them get pink on margins. No browning is required as the onions are meant to get mushy slushy and coat the chickpeas when cooked. Add salt to the cooking onions to quicken the process.

Add the powdered spices and toss a few times  till the roasted aroma of the powdered spices hits your nostrils. Add the slit green chilly.

Add the soaked and drained chickpeas, pour a cup of water, cover the lid and cook over high heat till the whistle blows. Lower the heat and cook for 12-15 minutes more.

Let the pressure release while the cooker cools down. Add amchoor powder and mix well. The amount of amchoor powder will depend upon how much chilies you are using. I used my homemade amchoor powder, you may need some more or less if using the store bought ones.The sourness balance the heat of the red and green chilies being used.

Add the remaining ginger julienne in the last. This is the way I like it. The taste of some of the ginger slivers is so good in the spicy slush which coats the chana. You might like to add some more of ginger in winter months as it feels almost warming in those days.

The whole red chilies should be discarded before serving. Some people even like those red chilies wrapped into a large piece of paratha. Do not worry about the heat hitting your tongue if you try this as most of the heat of these chilies has gone to the chana masala .... It is definitely a hot dish .

Ideal for a weekend brunch, served with plain whole wheat paratha or rice ans some salad on the side. This is a respite from the usual light meals we have during most of the summer days. The much needed shock for the palate during the days of sherbets, thandais and mangoes....

Did I tell you that I don't need any paratha to enjoy this ghugni and that I can have it any time of the day? It is a meal in itself...

ashtmi wale sookhe kale chane

Kaale chane ki ghugni is a traditional recipe which is made as a prasad on the eighth day of Navaratri that is Ashtami. Along with this sookhe kaale chane it is poori and halwa as the usual prasad that day.

Poori, chana and halwa prasad along with some fruits is served to little girls on Ashtmi day as young girls are considered Devi or goddess Durga and are called as Kanjka for this day. Some people celebrate the Kanjka on Dirga ashtmi (eighth day of Navratri) while some celebrate it on the next day which is Ram navami (ninth day of Navratri) but the prasad is the same.

I have been doing this Kanjka ritual for many years and it is a very good feeling to see all those girls and their little brothers too enjoying the meal together. It becomes a small picnic for children that day. Many kids wait for this day so they can have a great time and get some gifts apart from delicious prasad. In my case there was no religious reason behind doing this, but it was always good to see little kids around Mithi. A very selfish reason I must admit.

We like this dish sookhe chane even on regular days sometimes. It is a good chana recipe for lunch boxes as it is dry an tastes great even at room temperature. It is a nice tea time snack sometimes or even a small meal when chana is wrapped in a roti or paratha or even sandwiched in bread. With minor variations this sookhey chane is a staple chana recipe in many homes.

When this kala chana is made for the puja rituals it is always made in either ghee or mustard oil and there is no onion or garlic used in it. On the day of ashtmi this prasad is consider kosher, is made with extra care and hygiene. In fact in my family back home the whole kicthen used to be spring cleaned and rearranged before this day. now I don't follow those rituals and trust my everyday hygiene better.

Everyone reminisces how the poori chana halwa tastes so much better on the day of Ashtmi though. The anticipation of a good meal and may be the season is right for such a meal. Traditions around food have always survived because of seasons and seasonal produce though everything in this meal is made with dry pantry staples.

ingredients 
(8-10 servings for prasad or 4 servings as a side dish)

250 gm kala chana (black chickpeas) soaked overnight
4-5 whole red chillies
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root 
2 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
salt to taste
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp amchoor powder

procedure 

Drain the soaked chana and keep aside.

Make a paste of ginger, chillies, coriander, cumin, peppercorns and 1 tbsp water together. 

Heat the oil in pressure cooker and pour the spice paste in it. Stir and cook till it becomes aromatic and looks glazed.

Now add the chickpeas and toss and mix everything together. Add salt to taste.

Add 1/2 cup water and close the cooker lid. Let it cook on high till the first whistle blows and then lower the flame and cook for 15 minutes.

Cool the pressure cooker, open the lid and add the amchoor powder. Mix well and reduce the water if there is still some left.

Serve as desired.

You can cook it in an iron kadhai as the traditional way but you will need to add more water and cooking time, the water should get absorbed once the chana gets cooked.

This kala chana doesn't need any garnish and tastes really great with poori.

You can serve some alu ki subzi or kaddu ki subzi with this meal but it is not required I must add.

These are some of the meals we crave for when we remember home and our childhood. Let's make a part of our children's childhood too and not let them crave for red velvet cakes. These puri chana halwa meals are much healthier than the burgers and red velvet cakes of the modern ilk.