Ghugni – tender brown chickpeas (desi chana) in a delicious onion curry with crunchy onions and fresh coriander – a delicious dish served with flatbread, roti or crackers.
Index
Ghugni is a delicious Indian bean curry. Varieties of Ghugni are made in Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal in India. The most popular version uses dried white peas. This ghugni uses brown gram (kala chana or desi chana) and is inspired from the Uttar Pradesh version.
You cook brown chickpeas (aka kala chana) in the Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, then simmer them in a deeply seasoned sauce. Brown chickpeas are more toothsome than creamy white chickpeas and they pair well with the savory onion sauce. This is a dry dish served as a snack or part of a meal, served with onions, coriander, cumin and lots of fresh lime juice!
1 year ago me The Instant Pot Cookbook Released after 4 years of work! 150 recipes, 400 pages, lots of pictures, glutenfree soyfree nutfree options for everyone! Get your copy if you haven’t yet! Thanks to everyone who received my book!
Why you will love Ghugni
- Tender brown chickpeas in an addictive, easy-to-make curry sauce
- Protein and fiber-packed
- Naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free
- Versatile – use other chickpeas or beans, if you like!
More chickpea curry
Recipe card
Print recipe
Kala Chana Ghugni (Brown Chickpea Curry)
Ghugni – tender brown chickpeas in a savory curry topped with chopped onions and fresh coriander – is a delicious dish served with flatbread, roti or crackers.
Serving: 4
Calories: 200kcal
material
- 1 the cup (176 g) brown gram, Soak the kala chana, or desi chana, overnight or at least 1 hour
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon the oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or Indian red chilli powder
- 1 table spoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Again ground pepper
- 1 the cup (160 g) Thinly sliced red onion
- 1 Hot green peppers such as serrano, to cut
- 1 table spoon Ginger-garlic batter Or 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 inch minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the garnish:
- 1/4 the cup (40 g) chopped onion
- 1/4 the cup (4 g) Chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Toasted cumin
- 2-3 teaspoon lime juice or as needed
instructions
-
Drain the brown gram if it is not soaked. Add them to an instant pot or pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water. Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 hour (in bean mode) or 45 minutes in a regular stovetop pressure cooker on medium heat.
-
Once pressure is cooked, release pressure normally for 10 minutes then release quickly. Open the lid and see if the chickpeas are cooked. Drain and save the water. Keep the drained chickpeas aside.
-
Make the sauce Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mix. Cook until the cumin seeds change color and darken significantly. Then add the bay leaves, all the spices, chopped onions, and a good pinch of salt and mix. Cook the onion for 6 to 8 minutes until golden, sprinkling water if the onion is too dry.
-
Once the onions are cooked, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and mix. Cook for another minute then cover with a mixture of salt, cooked brown gram and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reserved water. And cook for 6-8 minutes, open the lid and mix well again. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. Turn off the heat.
-
to serve Transfer the cooked chickpeas to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and red onion. Sprinkle with toasted cumin, add some lime juice as needed and serve.
Comment
To make this recipe with white chickpeas, Simply pressure cook for 15 minutes. You can also use other chickpeas or beans for this recipe. You can even use dry White Peas (Vatana), Pressure cook for 12-15 minutes based on texture preference.
As written this recipe is gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
nutrition
nutrients
Kala Chana Ghugni (Brown Chickpea Curry)
No. per job
calories 200
36 calories from fat
% Daily Value*
thick 4g6%
0.1 grams of saturated fat1%
Sodium 351 mg15%
potassium 484 mg14%
carbohydrates 33 grams11%
3g of fiber13%
3 grams of sugar3%
protein 8 grams16%
Vitamin A 354 IU7%
Vitamin C 10 mg12%
calcium 117 mg12%
iron 3 mg17%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Components and Substitutions
- Make sure to soak brown chickpeas – also called kala chana or desi chana overnight. You can also use white chickpeas, other beans or dried white peas to make this recipe.
- Oil – Cumin seeds should be toasted and fried.
- Spices – Cumin seeds, bay leaves, turmeric, red chili or Indian red chili powder, cumin, coriander and black pepper add so much flavor to brown gram!
- Aromatic – Onions, green chilies and ginger-garlic paste add more layers of amazing flavor.
- Garnish – Crunchy fresh onions, zesty cilantro, aromatic toasted cumin seeds and a generous amount of lime juice add a fresh flavor profile that makes this simple bean curry so addictive!
advice
- Be sure to soak the beans. Soaking shortens cooking time significantly.
- Make sure that the color of cumin darkens slightly while toasting. That way you’ll know they have really good, fried flavor.
How to Make Kala Chana Ghugni
Drain the brown gram if it is not soaked. Add them to an instant pot or pressure cooker and add two cups of water. Close the lid and pressure cook for an hour (in bean mode) or 45 minutes in a regular stovetop pressure cooker on medium heat.
Once the pressure cooker is done, release the pressure normally for 10 minutes then release quickly. Open the lid and see if the chickpeas are cooked. Drain and save the cooking water. Keep the drained chickpeas aside.
Make the sauce by heating the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mix. Cook until the cumin seeds change color and darken significantly.
Then add the bay leaves, all the spices, chopped onions, and a good pinch of salt and mix. Cook for six to eight minutes until the onions are golden, sprinkling water if the onions are too dry.
Once the onions are cooked, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and mix. Cook for another minute then add salt, cooked brown gram, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved water and mix.
Cover and cook for six to eight minutes and stir again. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. Turn off the heat.
To serve, transfer the cooked chickpeas to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and red onion. Sprinkle with toasted cumin, add some lime juice as needed and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Skip the first cooking step and add the drained canned chickpeas directly to the sauce
Ghugni is naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
Ghugni is an Indian chickpea or pea curry with lots of amazing spices. There are many ways to make it depending on the region.
Yes. Add 4 times the water and cover and cook on medium heat for 2 hours.