kala chana ghugni – bihari style kala chana ghugni

Directions

1. 1
   rinse black chickpeas with water a couple of times. then soak the black chickpeas overnight or for 7 to 8 hours in enough water. drain the water and keep the chickpeas aside.in a pressure cooker, heat 2 tablespoons mustard oil. once the mustard oil begins to smoke, then lower the flame.add teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tej patta, 1 inch cinnamon and 2 cloves (optional). the oil will be hot and the spices will crackle in fraction of seconds.then immediately add 1.3 cups finely chopped onions.saute onions till they turn light brown.next add teaspoon ginger-garlic paste andsaute till their raw aroma goes away.next add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes.saute till the tomatoes turn mushy and you see oil releasing from the sides of the onion-tomato masala.now add all the spice powders one by one - teaspoon turmeric powder, teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 tablespoon coriander powder.mix the spice powders very well with the onion-tomato base.add the soaked kala chana andmix them very well with the masala.now add 2 cups water.season with salt and mix well.pressure cook on medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chana is cooked. the time of cooking will vary on the quality of chana. in case the chana is not cooked, then continue to pressure cook for some more minutes.once the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and keep the cooker on stove top. simmer the curry on a low to medium flame till it thickens slightly. mash some chana pieces with the spoon as this helps in thickening the gravy.once the gravy has thickened to a medium consistency, add teaspoon garam masala powder andmix very well. switch off the flame.serve kala chana ghugni garnished with some finely chopped onion, chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped green chilies and drizzled with some lemon juice. you can also accompany a simple mix of cup finely chopped onions, 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped), cup coriander leaves and lemon wedges. serve with chapatis, pooris or with steamed rice.