Sukha Chana (Dry Chana)

5 from 3 votes

This Sukha Chana is a quick, easy and delicious dry chickpea curry made with minimal ingredients. In spite of few ingredients added, this dry chana curry tastes fantastic. This is also a naturally vegan dish.

Prep Time8

Cook Time10

Total Time8 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: South Indian

Diet: Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For cooking chickpeas

1 cup white chickpeas (chole or kabuli chana), soaked in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours
3 cups water - for pressure cooking the chickpeas

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
¼ cup onion - thinly sliced
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1.5 teaspoons ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger and 6 to 7 small to medium garlic crushed in mortar-pestle
1 to 2 green chilies - slit
1 tablespoon coriander leaves - chopped
1.5 teaspoons black pepper powder (ground black pepper)
1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice, add as required
salt or pink salt or black salt, add as per taste

For garnish

1 tablespoon coriander leaves - chopped
8 to 10 mint leaves - chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cooking chickpeas

Rinse and then soak 1 cup of white chickpeas/chana with enough water covering them overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. In the morning discard the water.
Rinse the chickpeas in water. Then add the soaked chickpeas with 3 cups of water in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
Pressure cook the chickpeas for 12 to 14 whistles or about 14 to 16 minutes or until they are tender and cooked completely.
The chickpeas should be cooked well and must be soft when you mash it between your fingers or a spoon.
Once the chana are cooked then drain the water and place boiled chickpeas aside.

Making sukha chana

Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced onions.
Sauté the onions until they become translucent and are softened.
Add 1.5 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste and a pinch of asofoetida (hing).
Also add 1 to 2 slit green chilies.
Sauté on low heat for a minute, until the raw aroma from the ginger - garlic paste dissipates. Even the color of the onions would change to pale light brown.
Add 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves.
Sprinkle the black pepper powder and salt as required. Stir and mix well.
Now add the boiled chana. Stir well to combine.
Add the lime or lemon juice and mix well.
Cover with a lid and simmer chana curry for 2 to 3 mins on low heat. Remove the lid and turn off the heat.
Garnish the Dry Chana with 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves and 8 to 10 mint leaves.
Serve hot or warm. Drizzle some lemon juice or lime juice on the chana while eating.
Serve Sukha Chana with hot phulka, paratha or as a side dish with pulao or biryani.

Notes

If you want chana to be more spicy, then add more green chilies.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, then cook the chickpeas in a pot with enough water. Cooking chickpeas in a pot will take more time.
You can also cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot adding water as needed.
The recipe is easily adaptable with canned chickpeas. Drain all the liquids and rinse the chickpeas a few times with water, before adding it to the recipe.

Nutrition