Gujarati Kala Chana Nu Shaak (No Onion No Garlic)
Black chickpeas cooked in a sweet-tangy Gujarati rasawala gravy, thickened with roasted chickpea flour. Jain-friendly, no onion, no garlic.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Kadai or deep pan
Ingredients
For the kala chana
- 1 cup dried black chickpeas (kala chana / desi chana) 200 g
- 3 cups water for pressure cooking
- salt to taste
For the rasawala gravy
- 3 tablespoons oil peanut or sunflower
- 1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1 small piece cinnamon 1 inch
- 1 sprig curry leaves optional
- pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon green chilli-ginger paste adjust to taste
- 3/4 cup tomato puree or 2 medium tomatoes, blended smooth
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander-cumin powder (dhana-jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 1/2 tablespoons jaggery grated, or to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons tamarind water
- 2-3 cups reserved chana cooking water adjust for consistency
- fresh coriander for garnish; omit during strict fasting days if needed
Instructions
Prep and cook the chana
- Rinse kala chana and soak in plenty of water for 8–10 hours or overnight.
- Drain, rinse again, and pressure cook with 3 cups fresh water and a little salt for 5–6 whistles on medium heat, until tender but still holding shape. Let pressure release naturally. Reserve the cooking water.
Make the besan rasawala gravy
- Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat. Add besan and stir continuously for 2–3 minutes until golden and nutty-smelling. Raw besan tastes floury if under-roasted.
- Push besan to one side. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, and hing. Sizzle 30 seconds.
- Add green chilli-ginger paste and tomato puree. Cook, stirring often, until tomato deepens and oil separates at the edges, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, and garam masala. Cook 1 minute.
Simmer and finish
- Add cooked kala chana. Pour in reserved cooking water, starting with 2 cups. Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add jaggery, tamarind, and salt. Simmer on low 12–15 minutes until besan thickens the gravy and it coats the back of a spoon. Add more water for a thinner ras.
- Taste and adjust sweet-tangy-spice balance. Garnish with coriander if using.
Notes
Soak chana overnight; under-soaked beans stay hard in the centre.
Roasting besan in oil is the only thickener needed. For thin gravy, use a besan slurry (1 tsp besan + 2 tbsp water), not dry besan in hot curry.
Tastes better the next day. Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Instant Pot: pressure cook soaked chana on High 25 minutes, natural release, then finish gravy on Sauté.
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