Name: PAHAADI KAALA CHANA KHATTA / HIMACHALI DHAM SPECIAL recipe by Shobha Keshwani at BetterButter
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: Kaala chana .... 1/2 cup; Mustard oil ...... 2 tbsps; Cumin seeds ..... 1 tsp; Fennel seeds ..... 1 tsp; Crushed fenugreek seeds .. 1/4 tsp; Besan / gram flour ..... 1 tbsp; Amchoor powder .... 1 tbsp (add more if you like); Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp; Coriander powder ... 1 tsp; Cumin powder ......... 1 tsp; Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp; Asafoetida ............. 1 pinch; Salt ..................... to taste; Jaggery ............. 1/2 tsp

ABOUT PAHAADI KAALA CHANA KHATTA / HIMACHALI DHAM SPECIAL RECIPE

This is a traditional dish of Himachal Pradesh and a speciality of Dham ( Traditional Pahaadi Festive Lunch from the Kangra Valley) which is cooked by special cooks. They do the cooking preparations throughout the night for various Dham Dishes. Pahaadi Kaala Chana Khatta, which means a tangy black gram curry from the mountains. This dish does not have any onion and garlic. It is cooked in mustard oil just with spice powders and a little gram flour for thickening the gravy. Amchoor powder (dry mango powder) is liberally used for tanginess and a little bit of jaggery to balance the taste. You can relish this curry with rice, puris or rotis. (Recipe Credits- The Sood Family Cookbook)

Ingredients Serving: 2

Kaala chana .... 1/2 cup
Mustard oil ...... 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds ..... 1 tsp
Fennel seeds ..... 1 tsp
Crushed fenugreek seeds .. 1/4 tsp
Besan / gram flour ..... 1 tbsp
Amchoor powder .... 1 tbsp (add more if you like)
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder ... 1 tsp
Cumin powder ......... 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida ............. 1 pinch
Salt ..................... to taste
Jaggery ............. 1/2 tsp

Instructions

Soak the black gram over night and pressure cook it with little salt. Drain it and keep the water for the gravy.
In a pan heat the mustard oil to a smoking point and reduce the flame. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.
When the crackle add the spice powders.
Next add the besan.
Saute well until it gives out a nice aroma.
Now add the water set aside after boiling the chana.
Tip in the boiled chana and add salt and jaggery.
Cook on low flame for few minutes keeping the desired consistency of the gravy.

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