The Pakistani cuisine “Kala Chola” can be eaten as a meal, with rice, or by itself. It is produced from kala chana, a member of the garbanzo bean family. They are available at Indian and Pakistani shops as well as in the Indian and Pakistani department of an international retailer. It is quite excellent and well-liked in my household. My diabetic mother claims that kala chana is high in fiber and low in fat. For those with blood sugar issues, it is excellent. With basmati rice, garnish with onion and cilantro before serving. I do hope you all like it.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 3 hrs 10 mins |
| Additional Time: | 8 hrs |
| Total Time: | 11 hrs 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dry black garbanzo beans (kala channa)
- water to cover
- 3 cups water
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground red chile pepper
- 4 dried red chile peppers (Optional)
- water as needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
Instructions
- Place garbanzo beans in a large bowl. Pour enough water over the beans to cover by several inches. Soak 8 hours to overnight. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans thoroughly.
- Combine garbanzo beans, 3 cups water, tomatoes, 1 finely chopped onion, jalapeno pepper, vegetable oil, salt, turmeric, ground red chile pepper, and dried whole chiles in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the garbanzo beans are tender, 3 to 4 hours, adding water as needed to keep about 1 inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot.
- Garnish with cilantro and 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion to serve.
Reviews
I often use canned beans to make it faster but the flavor is amazing! I make this dish often and highly recommend trying it!
I make this regularly now. It’s amazing! A new favorite dish for my family, kids included. unfortunately I haven’t found or used the dried black garbanzo beans and usually use two drained cans of regular garbanzo beans simmered for about two hours, but it’s always wowed family and guests alike. This recipe is a must try!
Kaala Chana is my husband’s favorite dish and I have been trying to make it the way he likes it for years with no results. This is the only recipe which he really loves, thank you for sharing it. I followed the recipe exactly and the chana’s were cooked perfectly and the shorwa had a lot of flavour. This recipe is a keeper.
Yes I am a dork for reviewing my own recipe, just wanted people to know that they could also make this in the slow cooker by decreasing the water and extending the cooking time. I love it so easy to make and so good!