If you thought that you can only prepare a North Indian or Punjabi-style recipe with chickpeas, you are highly mistaken. Because in this post I have shared just that chickpea recipe that is made South Indian-style. This Sukha Chana is a quick, easy and delicious dry chickpea curry made with minimal ingredients. In spite of few ingredients added, this dry chana curry tastes fantastic. This is also a naturally vegan dish.
About Sukha Chana
This Sukha Chana, a dry preparation of white chickpeas, is a variant from South Indian cuisine. Rich in protein and fiber, it is not only nutritious but also packed with robust flavors that are distinctively South Indian.
The use of an array of spices and herbs elevates this dish, making it a favorite for both everyday meals and festive occasions.
The main ingredient in Sukha Chana is white chickpeas or kabuli chana or safed chole. These chickpeas are soaked overnight to ensure they cook evenly and develop a tender texture.
The flavor profile of the dish is built with ingredients like asafoetida, green chilies and ground black pepper powder. Aromatics such as onions and ginger-garlic paste are essential too.
Table of Contents
This Sukha Chana has a nice balance of flavors. The sweetness from the onion compliments the heat coming from the black pepper powder and chilies very well.
The tangy taste coming from the lemon juice adds more punch and flavor to the dish. Overall, a quick and tasty dish which goes very well with roti or paratha or poori or bread. Sometimes I also use it as a stuffing in sandwiches.
If you have cooked the chickpeas ahead of time, then this dish merely takes about 8 to 10 minutes to cook. Any time you are planning to make any chickpea recipe, don’t forget to soak them overnight.
Next day, you can pressure cook the chickpeas until they soften or cooked well. Then, you are ready to make any recipe with it. Another thing I keep in mind is to buy fresh chickpeas as they cook faster and taste good too.
Why This Recipe Works
This Sukha Chana is a delightful blend of taste and nutrition. Its rich, spicy flavors make it a standout dish in South Indian cuisine.
Easy to prepare and versatile in serving, this dish is perfect for those seeking a wholesome, flavorful meal. Whether as a side dish, a main course, or a tiffin box favorite, Sukha Chana Masala is sure to please both the palate and the body.
The South Indian-style Sukha Chana is my mother’s recipe. In our growing years, we would just have chickpeas sprinkled with a bit of salt.
I remember we used to love eating boiled chana with potato wafers. Kabuli chana recipes are loved by our house folks. Here are some more that you can try – Chole Masala, Pindi Chole, Amritsari Chole and Aloo Chole Ki Sabji.
Sukha Chana is versatile and can be served in various ways. It is often enjoyed as a side dish with steamed rice and sambar or rasam, typical South Indian accompaniments.
It also pairs well with Indian breads like roti or poori. For a lighter meal, it can be served as a salad, garnished with chopped onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander leaves.
This dish is also a popular choice for tiffin boxes due to its dry nature and robust flavors, making it convenient for on-the-go meals.
How to make Sukha Chana
Pressure Cook Chickpeas
1. Rinse and soak 1 cup white chickpeas with enough water covering them, for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. In the morning, discard the water and rinse the chickpeas in water.
2. Then, add the soaked chickpeas in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker with 3 to 4 cups water. Pressure cook the until they are cooked well, tender and softened.
For me, it takes 12 to 14 whistles or 14 to 16 minutes. Depending upon the quality of chickpeas, it may take more or less time.
You have to cook them until they are cooked completely. Once cooked, drain the water and keep aside.
Eat one boiled chana and check, it should be soft while eating. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook the chickpeas in a pot with enough water. Cooking chana in a pot or pan will take more time.
Sauté Aromatics
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add ¼ cup tightly packed sliced onions.
4. Sauté the onions until they turn translucent and are softened.
5. Then, add 1½ teaspoons ginger-garlic paste, a pinch of asafoetida and 1 to 2 slit green chilies.
6. Sauté on low heat for a minute or until the raw aroma from the ginger-garlic paste fades away or dissipates. Even the color of the onions will change to pale brown.
7. Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves.
8. Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons black pepper powder and black salt as required. Stir well.
Make Sukha Chana Masala
9. Now, add the boiled chickpeas.
10. Stir and mix well to combine.
11. Pour 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix well.
12. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
13. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Stir again.
14. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves and 8 to 10 chopped mint leaves.
15. Serve Sukha Chana Masala hot or warm with roti or paratha or as a side dish with pulao or biryani. Drizzle some lemon juice or lime juice on the chana while eating.
You can also use leftover dry chana to make Chana Sandwich.
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Sukha Chana (Dry Chana Masala)
Ingredients
For cooking chickpeas
- 1 cup white chickpeas (chole or kabuli chana), soaked in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours
- 3 cups water – for pressure cooking the chickpeas
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ cup onion – thinly sliced
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1.5 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger and 6 to 7 small to medium garlic crushed in mortar-pestle
- 1 to 2 green chilies – slit
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper powder (ground black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice, add as required
- salt or pink salt or black salt, add as per taste
For garnish
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped
- 8 to 10 mint leaves – chopped
Instructions
Cooking chickpeas
- Rinse and then soak 1 cup of white chickpeas/chana with enough water covering them overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. In the morning discard the water.
- Rinse the chickpeas in water. Then add the soaked chickpeas with 3 cups of water in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook the chickpeas for 12 to 14 whistles or about 14 to 16 minutes or until they are tender and cooked completely.
- The chickpeas should be cooked well and must be soft when you mash it between your fingers or a spoon.
- Once the chana are cooked then drain the water and place boiled chickpeas aside.
Making sukha chana
- Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced onions.
- Sauté the onions until they become translucent and are softened.
- Add 1.5 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste and a pinch of asofoetida (hing).
- Also add 1 to 2 slit green chilies.
- Sauté on low heat for a minute, until the raw aroma from the ginger – garlic paste dissipates. Even the color of the onions would change to pale light brown.
- Add 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves.
- Sprinkle the black pepper powder and salt as required. Stir and mix well.
- Now add the boiled chana. Stir well to combine.
- Add the lime or lemon juice and mix well.
- Cover with a lid and simmer chana curry for 2 to 3 mins on low heat. Remove the lid and turn off the heat.
- Garnish the Dry Chana Masala with 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves and 8 to 10 mint leaves.
- Serve hot or warm. Drizzle some lemon juice or lime juice on the chana while eating.
- Serve Sukha Chana with hot phulka, paratha or as a side dish with pulao or biryani.
Notes
- If you want chana to be more spicy, then add more green chilies.
- If you do not have a pressure cooker, then cook the chickpeas in a pot with enough water. Cooking chickpeas in a pot will take more time.
- You can also cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot adding water as needed.
- The recipe is easily adaptable with canned chickpeas. Drain all the liquids and rinse the chickpeas a few times with water, before adding it to the recipe.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Sukha Chana recipe from the archives was originally published on August 2016. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.
