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Kala chana curry reminds me of Sunday lunches at home with the whole house filled with delicious aroma of spices. I really appreciate this type of cooking where black cardamom and Kasuri methi are the main stars as they bring the richness and smokiness to the sauce effortlessly and also without a lot of exotic ingredients. It is an authentic kitchen-style meal, easy enough for anyone to make and after your first bite, you will instantly want to have more. After that, you will see yourself not wanting to change to any other version of it.

Table of Contents

Quick Facts

North Indian cuisine typically features kala chana curry.
The smoky, slightly sweet, and mild fiery flavor profile of this dish is definitely one of my all-time favorites.
My preference is to serve it warm with rice (steamed/boiled), roti, or bhatura.
Once I have soaked and boiled chickpeas, it typically only takes me thirty minutes or so to prepare the dish.
Assuming you are a connoisseur like me and enjoy similar dishes, you would clearly love Kabuli chole, rajma, and basic homestyle tadka dal.

The Ingredients:

250 grams chickpeas (kala chana)
1 cup onion (fried)
2 pieces tomatoes (medium sized, finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (or freshly minced ginger and garlic in equal parts)
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (crushed)
4 pieces green chilies
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
1 tbsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 pieces bay leaves
2 pieces black cardamom (whole pods)
¼ tsp asafetida (Hing)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
Water as required
1 tsp chaat masala powder (or a mix of roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder/amchur, and a pinch of black salt)
Coriander leaves (a few, finely chopped)

How to Make Kala Chana Curry? (Step by Step Guide with Photos)

Step 1: Soak 250 grams of chickpeas (kala chana) in water overnight. Strain them.

Step 2: Put the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker. Add and mix 1 cup of fried onions, 2 pieces of medium-sized, finely chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp of crushed dried fenugreek leaves, 4 pieces of green chilies, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of cumin seeds powder, 1 tbsp of coriander seeds powder, 1 tsp of garam masala powder, 2 pieces of bay leaves, 2 pieces of whole black cardamom pods, ¼ tsp of asafetida (Hing), 1 tsp of salt, 2 tbsp of cooking oil, and water as required.

(Pro tip: Add the same oil used to fry the onions. This adds to the taste and flavor of the dish).

Step 3: Pressure-cook them with the lid for about 20 minutes on a medium flame or up to 4 whistles. Then, remove the lid and cook it on a high flame for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the gravy thickens. Check the consistency.

(Pro tip: Add more spices if required at this stage since further cooking will help the spices infuse nicely and remove the raw smell.)

Step 4: Now add 1 tsp of chaat masala powder and a few finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix and cook further on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame, cover it and let it rest for 2 more minutes.

Step 5: Check the doneness. Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Step 6: Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves on top. Your tasty and spicy homemade kala chana curry is ready.

Experiment with These Ideas

My favorite is to boil potatoes for our guests’ meals, and then add it to make it heartier.
Sometimes I prefer finely chopped raw onions to frying along with fresh mustard oil. The resulting flavor is quite different and special. It enhances the taste.
The trick to get a creamy sauce or gravy is putting a spoon of yogurt at the very end. I learnt that from my mother-in-law.
When our guest does not eat onion or garlic, I still end up with a quite delicious curry by increasing the use of ginger, Hing, and whole spices.