In this kala chana masala recipe, I have used kala chana or Black chickpeas to make this gravy. Black Chickpeas are darker in color and nuttier in texture. They are very high in protein, fiber and low in glycemic index.  This kala channa masala is easy to make and very flavorful because of the addition of spice powders. This chana masala  gravy is also little sour in taste because of tomatoes which blends very well with kala chana. This kala channa masala goes well with roomali roti or chapathi or rice.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup and 2 Tbsp of Black Chickpeas / Kala Channa
1 Big Red Onion, Finely Chopped
1.5 Tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste
3 Medium Size Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
2 Tsp of Coriander Powder
2 Green Chilies
1 Tsp of Red Chilly Powder
1 Tsp of Cumin Powder
2 Tsp of Channa Masala
2 Sprigs of Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)
1 Tsp of Lemon Juice
Pinch of Black salt
Salt to taste
3 Tsp of Oil

Method

• Soak the black chickpeas in water for 8 hrs or overnight. Drain the water and wash it tap water. Pressure cook the chick peas for 2 whistles (once the pressure builds ), simmer it for 30 mins and turn off the stove.
• Heat oil in a pan, when it is hot, add chopped onion and salt, fry this until it turns golden brown.
• Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste, fry this for few mins until raw smell goes off, take off the pan from heat, add coriander powder, red chilly powder, cumin powder and channa masala, keep the pan back to the stove, in a medium flame, fry this for a min. Add chopped tomatoes, sauté this until it turns soft and mushy.
• Now add black chickpeas, mix well with all the masala, add enough water, turn on the heat to high, let it come to a rolling boil, then cover the pan and simmer it for 10 mins. Add the chopped coriander leaves and black salt. Turn off the flame. Finally add lemon juice and mix well.
• Hot, flavorful kala chana masala is ready to serve with roti.

   Tips 

• You can use white chick peas in place of black chickpeas.
• This masala tastes so good after few hours after all masala blends together.If you want to eat for dinner, try to prepare 2 hrs before you eat.
• You can give cumin tadka (Tempering) in oil, if you want.
• If you got amchur powder(Dry mango powder), you can add it at the end.
• You can add chaat masala in place of black salt.

    Health Benefits of Kala Chana / Black Chickpeas

• Rich in vitamins, protein, anti-oxidants, dietary fiber and minerals.
• Decrease cardiovascular risk.
• Supports digestive tract
• Better regulation of blood sugar.
• Good for weight loss because of high in fiber.

Roomali roti or rumali roti is a thin flat bread popular in south Asia. The term “Rumali” means “Hand Kerchief”  the name suggests that the roti has to be rolled out as thin as possible. It is made with whole wheat flour and maida (All purpose flour). This roomali roti is soft,yummy in taste and a nice alternative to regular chapathi. It goes well with dal makhani or any side dish of your choice. I had it with kala chana masala. I will be posting the recipe for kala chana in my next post.
         Recipe Source : Chef Sanjay Thumma
Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Wheat Flour
• 1 Cup of Maida / All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp of Oil
• 1/2 Cup and 2 Tbsp of Water or as needed
• Salt to taste

Make a paste of ghee and maida

• 1 Tbsp of Ghee/Oil
• 1 Tbsp of Maida/All Purpose Flour

Yield : 10 Roti’s

Method

• In a bowl, mix both the flours, oil, salt and water to make a soft dough. Keep aside for 15-20 mins.
• Make a equally sized balls out of the dough.

• Using rolling pin, roll out 1 ball about 5-6″ in diameter as thin as possible.  Add a tsp of ghee(oil)-maida paste to the center of roti and spread it evenly.
• Roll the second roti to the same size of first roti. After that, place the second roti over the first roti. Roll out both the roti together to a very thin roti. Repeat the procedure to the rest of the dough.

• Heat a pan, pan should be super hot, carefully place the roti to the hot pan, cook both the sides quickly.
• Remove from heat and immediately separate two rotis and fold it to triangle shape and keep it in casserole.

• Serve it with dal makhani or chana masala or any side dish of your choice.

Tips

• Roll the roti as thin as possible.
• Your dough should be soft, otherwise it makes the roti hard.
• You can make roomali roti in 2 different ways. First method is what I made in this recipe. In second method, invert the shallow pan and heat it, when it is extremely hot, spray some salt water over it and carefully place the thin roti, cook both the sides, do not keep it for a long time, fold into triangle and keep it in casserole. I tried this method last month and here is the pic .

Health Benefits of Whole Wheat

• Rich in fiber, helps in proper functioning of digestive tract and lowers the cholesterol and metabolic syndromes.
• Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Reversing the weight gain process.
• Lowers the risk of diabetes.
• Excellent laxative properties.
• It has powerful antioxidant, which is vitamin E, good for skins.

 

Love to eat vegetable biryani, but feeling lazy to do on a weekend or busy weekdays, then try this easy vegetable biryani recipe in cooker. As name suggest, this biryani is very easy to make and is loaded with lots of healthy vegetables and aromatic spices. This is one of my favourite one pot meal which is rich in taste  yet simple to make because of the addition of ghee( clarified butter)and milk. You can also make this biryani with an alternate flavor profile by adding coconut milk, but in this preparation I added cows milk.
Making vegetable biryani recipe in pressure cooker is very easy … just temper the spices in ghee , throw some onion, tomatoes, green chillies, all the colourful veggies and salt, saute for few mins, finally add required water and rice and cook until done( pressure cookers might vary ) . Hot flavourful vegetable biryani recipe is ready in minutes. It goes well with spicy gravies like aloo palak,korma, cucumber raita or potato chips.

Ingredients For Vegetable Biryani Recipe in cooker

• 1 Cup of Basmati Rice
• 2 Carrots, Finely Chopped
• 15 Beans, Finely Chopped
• 1 Medium Size Potato, Cubed
• 1/4 Cup of Green Peas (Frozen)
• 1 Big Red Onion, Finely Chopped or 2 Mediumsize Red Onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves, Big
• 1 Inch of Ginger
• 3 Green Chillies
• 2 Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tbsp of Curd (Yogurt)
• 7 Mint Leaves
• Handful of Coriander Leaves, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1.5 Cups of Milk

    To Temper

• 1.5 Tbsp of Ghee
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Cinnamon, Medium Size
• 1 Cardamom
• 1 Bay Leaf

Method

• Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins, drain and wash the rice in tap water for 2 times. Keep aside.
• Wash and  finely chop the vegetables, onion and tomatoes. Slit the green chilies. In a blender, add ginger and garlic and make a ginger garlic paste.
• Take a pressure cooker, heat ghee, when it is hot, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, fry for a min. Add chopped red onion, slited green chillies and salt, fry for 2 mins, until onion turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, fry for few mins until raw smell vanishes.
• Add chopped tomato, mint leaves and coriander leaves, saute until tomatoes turns soft and mushy.
• Add carrots, beans, potato and peas, saute this for few mins. Add curd and rice, saute this for few secs.
• Add milk, check the salt. Close the lid and pressure cook it for 2 whistles. Turn off the flame.
• Open the cooker, add lemon juice, mix gently with fork.
• Serve hot with any spicy gravies like aloo palak, korma or cucumber raita and potato chips.

   Tips

• You can use small onions instead of large onions.
• Use coconut milk in place of cows milk to get a rich taste.
• If you don’t have whole spices, just add 1 tsp of garam masala.
• Don’t break the rice while mixing.
• If you are weight conscious, add oil in place of ghee.
• If you feel lazy to grind ginger garlic paste, finely chop the ginger and garlic, add it to the oil, saute well until raw smell vanishes.
• Don’t have pressure cooker, then try biryani in stove top. For that you need a heavy bottomed pan with perfect fitting lid then follow the above recipe and cook in a low flame.
• You can also use nuts to garnish.

    Health Benefits of Vegetables and spices

• Vegetables are home for antioxidants.
• Vegetables are packed with soluble and insoluble fibers.
• They are rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Spices like cinnamom has anti microbial property and controls sugar levels.
• Cardamom good for heart burn and increases blood circulation.
• Cloves good for teeth pain, boosts metabolism and immune system.