Pindi Channa/ Pindi Chole - Punjabi Special

After a lipsmacking ripen mango cooked in spiced yogurt gravy, am taking you all to Punjab, yes my today's post for this mega blogging marathon is Pindi channa aka Pindi chole or else Rawalpindi Channa. This fingerlicking channa is from Rawalpindi in Punjab and Pakistan. Pindi channa was in my list since a long and dunno why i never tried my hands with them, but finally i prepared this delicious side dish to serve along with Bhaturas as this dish goes awesome for this week's theme. Needless to say that this week's theme for Mega marathon is Indian states,we marathoners are successfully running this week's marathon with many delicious traditional dishes from various regions of India.Coming to my today's recipe, Rawal Pindi Chole,as i told earlier this dish got its origin from a place called Rawalpindi where pindi means Village.

Pindi channa or Pindi chole is quite different from the usual channa curry we make usually to serve along with rotis. But this dish is supposed to be dry and not the liquid like gravy also this dish tastes tangy as this recipe goes for both amchur powder and dry pomegranate seeds. Some recipes calls for dry amlas to achieve the dark brown colour of this dish, but i sticked with the usual tea bags/leaves to get the dark brown colour.

Punjab is a northern state of India and is very popular for its rich food . Punjabi recipe is prepared in delicious gravy and punjabi parathas melted in butter/ ghee. Punjabi dishes are very simple to make and healthy to relish yet they have their own fascination. The famous dishes like matar paneer, dal makhani, parathas, bature, lassi are popular all over India and all around the world as well.

As per wiki, Punjabi cuisine has a rich tradition of many distinct local ways of cooking, out of which one is a special form of tandoori cooking style.The local cuisine of Punjab is heavily influenced by the agriculture and farming lifestyle prevalent from the times of the ancient local Harappan Civilization. Locally grown staple foods form the major part of the local cuisine.

Recipe Source: Sanjeev Kapoor

2cups Chickpeas (kabuli chana/white chickpeas) soaked overnight
2nos Tea bags
1tbsp Dry pomegranate seeds (anardana)
2tsps Coriander seeds
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
1tsp Red chilli powder
1/2tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
3tbsp Oil
1tbsp Ghee
1+1/2tsp Cumin seeds
2nos Onions (chopped)
1tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
1tbsp Cumin powder
2tsp Coriander powder
2nos Tomatoes (chopped)
4nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1tsp Garam masala powder
Salt


Take soaked chana in a deep pan. Add tea bags and salt and cook till soft. Once cooked remove the tea bags.
Dry roast anardana, coriander seeds, half the turmeric powder, half the red chilli powder, amchur powder and keep aside.

Heat three tablespoons oil in a iron kadai.Add one teaspoon cumin seeds and sauté till it changes colour. Add onions and sauté till golden.

Add ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and continue to sauté.

Add boiled chana, salt and some channa cooked water and mix.

Meanwhile heat one tablespoon ghee in a pan, add the remaining cumin seeds and tomatoes. Add slit opened green chillies. Check the salt, add if wanted.

Stir and press the tomatoes lightly. Add a little water and cook for two minutes. Add to the chana along with already prepared grounded masala and garam masala.

Stir to mix well and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes on low heat until the masala turns thick and dry.

Serve hot with puris, bhaturas et rotis..

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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