What's On Your Plate? Day #3 - Channa Bathura

There are several ways to make Channa for Channa Bathura. This is using canned chickpeas which is cooked with spices to add flavor. You can easily use soaked chickpeas and follow the same method. In a previous version, my mom uses a tea bag to flavor the gravy. In this method I use tea powder to flavor the chickpeas. 

Ingredients:

Pressure cook:
2 cans Chickpeas,drained(Garbanzo beans) or 2 cups Soaked chickpeas
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cloves
1” piece cinnamon
2 cardamom pods
1 tbsp Tea powder
2 cups water

For the Gravy:

1 large onion, pureed
1 1/2 cups Tomato puree
2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
3 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Cumin powder
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red chili powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Kasuri methi
Chopped cilantro

Tie the spices & tea powder in a small piece of muslin cloth or a spice bag. Cook the chickpeas with the bag, onions & garlic for 2 whistles. If using soaked chickpeas, increase water by 2 cups and cook for 3 whistles and for 10 minuets on low heat.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add onion puree and sauce until brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauce for a minute. Add the tomato puree, cumin powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Combine and cook on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove spice bag from the chickpeas. Add the cooked chickpeas with the water. Combine well, season with salt and add kasuri methi, bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with Bathuras.