Aloo Channa/ Aloo Chola, Potatoes Chickpeas Curry

How was the Easter break? What did you? Went for a Holiday? Painted Easter eggs? Eggs hunt with kids? Or had an elaborate dinner? Most of our friends in the UK went to beachside to soak the sunshine and relax. I hope they had fun as the weather was fluctuating from sunny to rainy to windy. Well that’s the English climate-so unpredictable!

We decided to stay at home and complete several pending work. So we went to buy Indian grocery, ate some good Indian food, met one friend (which was long overdue), renewed the books from library and spared some time to see movies. We saw The Amazing Spiderman and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Spiderman- yes, I wanted to see as I enjoyed the trailer and 3d effects were exciting. The Grand Budapest Hotel-no I dint like it; but Mr. Husband loved the movie as it had subtle humour. (Don’t know what that even means? *grin*). So yes, that was all what we did on Easter break.

Cooking?? I dint try anything new. I stuck up to basic old meals. Quick carrot nutty salad, lehsuni daal tadka, methi mutter pulav and Punjabi aloo parathas were on the menu. Sunday it was sunny and bright and I wanted to click pictures but was still wanted to make something basic. So it was aloo channa subji (potatoes and chickpeas side dish). Remember I shared a tip on how tofreeze legumes for future use? Well I used the same frozen chickpeas/chola with boiled potatoes to compose the quick lunch. Nice isn't it?

In the UK it is one of the most popular vegetarian side dish. I have seen here people ordering aloo channa in Indian restaurants –may be they find it exotic or fancy; but; for Indian homes, this is no fuss, easy subji that is prepared on daily basis. There are many variations of making aloo channa recipe from dry to semi gravy to a curry version. I like semi gravy where chopped tomatoes are swathed in massala finally infusing the flavour to chickpeas and potatoes. Ideally this side dish is served with puri (fried Indian bread) in Punjab, but you wouldn’t mind pairing it with parathas as well. Just chop some red onions, squeeze out fresh lemon juice, have massala chaas and enjoy scoops of the subji with parathas. Perfect Indian lunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana

3 medium boiled potatoes/aloo

1 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirch

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

2 tablespoons channa/chola massala powder

1 onion/pyaz

2 medium tomatoes/Tamatar

2 green chillies/hari mirchi

2 tablespoon grated ginger

2 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain

1 black cardamom/badi ilyachi

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight. Next day drain the water, wash and pressure cook for 8 whistles with 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.

Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli with 5 tablespoons of water.

Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add black cardamom.

Add grinded mixture and stir well. Cover and cook till raw smell fades away.

Next add in finely chopped tomatoes. Mix.

Add all the remaining spices with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook till tomatoes are mushy.

Add boiled chickpeas and chopped boiled potatoes. Mix well. Let it cook covered for 12 minutes. Then cook uncovered for 2 minutes or till you have semi-dry gravy.

Sprinkle lemon juice and add chopped coriander leaves.

Notes:

Add more water if you need liquid gravy.

You can grind tomatoes with spices if you are in hurry.

Linking this at Avika's page, Lisa's MLLA event and Susan's Page