Paraati Chana

Paraati Chana is a wonderful mix of chickpeas and chana dal cooked in a mint sauce. It’s a popular snack food sold on the streets of Northern India and served from a large round tray called a ‘paraat’.

I make the amounts shown if I’m just cooking for the family but I double the quantities for larger gatherings. The recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian cookbook. I omit the oil from her recipe and just sauté the onion in the minty mixture.

150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
3 cups (750ml) water
75g chana dal or yellow split peas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Knob of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 or 2 large fresh hot green chillies, roughly chopped
½ packed cup fresh mint leaves
40g water
1 onion, peeled and halved
400g can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons tamarind paste or fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon garam masala (see recipe in Spice Blends)

Bring chickpeas and water to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add chana dal or split peas, cover and continue simmering. I simmer the chana dal for about an hour at this stage but find split peas only need 30-40 minutes. When you think they’re soft enough, turn off the heat.

Meanwhile place garlic, ginger, chillies, mint leaves and water in TM bowl and chop 10 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides and repeat three or four times until a minty paste is formed. Add onions and chop 5 sec/speed 5. Sauté 3 min/120°C/speed 1.

Add tomatoes, coriander, cumin and salt. Cook 10 min/100°C/REVERSE speed 1. Transfer to your pot on the cooktop containing the chickpeas and chana dal or split peas. Add tamarind paste and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in garam masala and simmer a further 5 minutes.