Vrat Ka Kala Chana

 

Many Hindu devotees worship little girls by offering them sacred food or what is famously known as Ashtami Prasad. Ashtami prasad mainly consists of halwa puri kala chana. To be more precise, it is sweet semolina pudding or aate ka halwa, deep-fried flatbreads, and salty black chickpeas. The combination of these three things makes the famous Ashtami or Navami prasad.

The holy tradition and ritual of offering halwa puri kala chana to young girls, who many consider as nine divine forms of Goddess Durga, is called  Kanya Pujan. It is quite a notion that Mother Durga, along with her nine spiritual forms, visit homes of her devotees to bless them on the day of Ashtami. And devotees worship the young goddesses and then offer them ‘satvik bhoj’ or halwa puri kala chana. Only after the  kanya pujan, the food becomes sacred and ready to devour as Ashtami prasad. This religious practice of worshipping girls as Devi is a unique part of our Sanatan Hindu ideology. 

Halwa is a simple and wholesome Indian dessert. One can find this mesmerizing dish in almost every Indian household. Mothers make it wholeheartedly for their little ones by generously adding ghee to it, which makes it nutritiously rich. 

Mostly halwa tastes good on its own, but many times people enjoy it alongside deep-fried whole wheat puris. Thus, halwa puri is a magnificent combination, and many temples and holy institutions serve it as prasad. During Navratri’s Ashtami celebrations, this yummy combination gets even better because you get kala chana or black chickpeas in the combo. And hence it makes way for a very delightful sweet and salty dish. You can make halwa puri on any given day and not only on Ashtami day. Combine it with chole or aloo ki sabzi, and you are sure to feel the food coma! 

So,,one of the highlights of the bhog platter is kala chana. And in order to make sure that you strike the right balance of masalas, flavors, and consistency, you need to make this no onion garlic recipe with sheer devotion. 

This recipe is the most perfect kala chana recipe I have tried so far and it is not my own. It is Chef Bhupi's recipe and the taste, aroma and texture, everything is perfrct!

ingredients:

1- Kala chana-1 cup (soaked overnight) Wash nicely because we will use this water.

2- Bay leaf-1

3- Ginger-2" piece

4- Green chillies-2-3

5- Asafetida- 1 tsp. divided

6- Kashmiri mirch powder-2 tsp.

7- Cumin powder- 1 tsp.

8- Coriander powder- 2 heaped tsp.

9- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp.

10- Dry mango powder- 1 tsp.

11- kasoori methi- 1 tsp.

12- Salt

13- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp.

14- Black cardamom seeds-1

15- Ghee 3 tsp. or oil of your choice

Method:

* In a pressure cooker, boil soaked kala chana with bay leaf and its own water upto 2 whistles, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes more.

* Depressurize, open the lid.

* Make a fine paste of ginger, 2 green chillies and 2 tbsp. coriander or cilantro leaves and 2 tsp. boiled kala chana.

* Add salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder and kasoori methi into it, keep aside.

* Heat ghee or oil in a pan, add half tsp. hing, cumin seeds, when brown, add black cardamom seeds.

* Now add masala paste that we have made earlier and a little water of boiled chana, fry till oil starts separating.

* Add chana and make sure that the water in which it was boiled is also added but it should not exceed more than 3/4 cup.

* Cook till water evaporates and masala becomes thick and clings to chana, don't dry it too much, let it remain latpata.

* Add coriander or cilantro leaves and enjoy with puris!

Link below--

kala chana