Chanyachi Bhaji

Name: Chanyachi Bhaji
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: maharashtrian
Ingredients: 1 cup black chickpeas (dried, soaked overnight); 2 pcs onion (medium, finely chopped); 2 pcs tomato (medium, finely chopped); 0.25 cup fresh coconut (grated); 2 tbsp oil; 0.5 tsp mustard seeds; 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 6 pcs curry leaves; 2 pcs green chili (slit); 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 pinch turmeric powder; 0.5 tsp red chili powder; 1 tsp god masala; 1 pinch asafoetida; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp jaggery (grated); 1 tsp tamarind paste; 3 cup water; 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)

RATING

4.4/5(55)

TASTE SCORE

7/10

A simple Maharashtrian black chickpea curry with a lightly spiced coconut-onion base. It cooks into a hearty, home-style bhaji that goes well with bhakri, chapati, or steamed rice.

PREP

15m

COOK

30m

SERVES

1 KATORI

280 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 7 STEPS

prep · ~1 min
Soak the black chickpeas.
Rinse the black chickpeas well and soak them in enough water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain before cooking.
pressure cook · ~25 min
Pressure cook the chickpeas.
1.Add the soaked black chickpeas to a pressure cooker with 2.5 cups water.
2.Cook until soft but not mushy, about 5 to 6 whistles.
3.Let the pressure drop naturally.
4.Reserve the chickpeas along with the cooking liquid.
TIPOlder chickpeas can take longer, so cook until they press easily between your fingers.
saute · ~10 min
Cook the onion and coconut base.
1.Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
2.Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds; let them crackle.
3.Add asafoetida, curry leaves, and green chili and cook for a few seconds.
4.Add onion and cook until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
5.Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.
6.Add fresh coconut and cook for 2 minutes.
saute · ~6 min
Add tomato and spices.
1.Add tomato and cook until soft and pulpy, 4 to 5 minutes.
2.Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, god masala, and salt.
3.Mix well and cook for 1 minute so the spices bloom.
TIPKeep the heat medium so the masala cooks through without burning.
simmer · ~10 min
Simmer the bhaji.
1.Add the cooked black chickpeas with their cooking liquid.
2.Add the remaining 0.5 cup water, jaggery, and tamarind paste.
3.Mix well and lightly mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.
4.Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until the bhaji comes together.
garnish
Garnish with cilantro.
serve
Serve hot.
Serve Chanyachi Bhaji hot with chapati, bhakri, or steamed rice.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
If your kala chana is old, add 1 or 2 extra whistles; each chickpea should press easily without turning pasty.
2
Reserve all the cooker liquid and use it in the bhaji for deeper chickpea flavor instead of replacing it with plain water.
3
Lightly brown the onion before adding coconut; this gives the bhaji its home-style sweetness and fuller color.
4
Cook the fresh coconut briefly, not too long, so it stays nutty and doesn’t turn oily or dry in the masala.
5
Mash only a small handful of cooked chickpeas while simmering to thicken the gravy without losing the whole-chana texture.
6
Add jaggery and tamarind near the end, then simmer a few minutes so the sweet-sour balance rounds out instead of tasting sharp.
7
This bhaji tastes even better after resting 15 to 20 minutes, as the god masala and coconut settle into the gravy.