Channa Kurma is a South Indian restaurant style gravy made with boiled chickpeas. It is different from the North Indian Chole or Chana Masala made with onions, tomatoes and spice powders. This is distinctly Tamil style, with freshly prepared coconut based spice paste. It is rich, creamy and really delicious but does not take much time to prepare at all.
Channa Kurma Ingredients
Kondakadai Kurma is made with two different types of masala pastes and although ingredient list is long, it is a simple recipe that comes together quickly. Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans soaked for 8hrs to overnight is the key ingredient. It is starchy, adding to the creaminess of the curry. Masala Paste 1 is made with tomatoes, fennel seeds, garlic cloves, fresh ginger & green chillies. Masala Paste 2 is made with fresh coconut, poppy seeds, cashews and fried gram. Whole spices like dry bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom are used to infuse flavors. Spice powders like red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Apart from these ingredients, we also use finely chopped onions, fresh coriander and mint leaves. For exact ingredient measurements, read through the recipe below.
Tips & Important Notes for Making Chana Kurma
Channa Kurma is a simple and easy recipe that is beginner-friendly. Follow these tips and notes below to make it easily.
Pressure cooking the chickpeas and storing in an airtight container saves a lot of time. It could either be frozen or refrigerated and the shelf time changes accordingly.Both the masala pastes should be ground very fine for best creamy texture of the kurma.The longer the kurma boils, the better the flavors of the kurma and it also separates the oil resulting in richer kurma.Cashews and fried gram add to the creaminess of the kurma and for a richer version replace fried gram completely with cashews.
Substitutions & Variations
Here are the substitutions and variations that you can make to this Channa Kurma recipe.
Along with chickpeas, you can also add any choice of mixed vegetables like carrots, French beans, cauliflower and potatoes.Replace channa with Pattani/green peas for making green peas kurma.Coconut is optional but highly recommended. You can also use desiccated coconut if fresh coconut is not available.Poppy seeds add to the nutty flavor and creaminess of the kurma, but skip if unavailable.
Storing & Serving Suggestions
Chana Kurma is best served hot with any Indian flat bread, poori, toasted bread, dosa, idli or even pulao. It should not left outside for more than few hours, especially in hot & humid climate as the coconut can get spoilt quickly. It is best consumed in a few hours, but if you want to store it for later use an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Reheat before serving.
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Channa Kurma Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
Soak ½ cup chickpeas in enough water for 8hrs to overnight. Drain off the water and add fresh water. Place in a pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 whistles in medium flame. Let the pressure drop naturally before opening the cooker. Chickpeas should be soft, but retain shape. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 dry bay leaf, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 stone flower. Fry for a few seconds. Add 1 large onion finely chopped and fry until it is translucent. Meanwhile make a masala paste by adding 1 medium tomato, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 2 green chillies, 6 garlic cloves and 1” ginger to the blender. Grind into a smooth paste. Add it to the pan. Cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are cooked and the mixture comes together. Next add ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Cook for 2 mins until there is no raw smell. Now add boiled chickpeas along with the water. Mix well and continue cooking on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves and salt as needed. Cook on medium flame for 4-5 mins. Using a masher, gently mash the chickpeas a few times. This helps in making the kurma creamy and thick. Meanwhile prepare masala paste 2 by adding ½ cup fresh coconut, 6 whole cashews, ½ tablespoon fried gram and ½ teaspoon poppy seeds to the blender. Grind into a smooth paste. Add the prepared coconut based paste to the pan. Mix well. Now add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and mix well. Keep it covered and cook on low flame until the oil separates. It should take about 12-15 mins. Add 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat. Serve hot with any Indian flat bread, poori, dosa or pulao.
Recipe Notes
Checkout garam masala powder recipe.Adjust spices as per preference.Add Kashmiri red chilli powder for a less spicy yet vibrant version of kurma.
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