Konkani cuisine is one of the most delicious cuisines you could come across India. The use of coconut in food here is very popular giving it a very characteristic taste that can be easily recognized. Chana Ghashi is a curry usually prepared for wedding and festivals. Black chana is paired with yam, raw jack fruit or even potatoes can be used to prepare the curry. Coconut gives nice soothing flavour and body to the gravy where as tamarind lends tanginess that tickles your taste buds.
Black chana is loaded with nutrients such as iron, protein, copper and vitamins. Yams are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese and metabolic B vitamins. What a great combo of vegetable and whole lentil !!
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Black Chana 1 Cup, soaked overnight
- Yam 1 Cup, Cubed
- Coconut, grated 2 tbsp
- Garlic Cloves 5 – 6,
- Coriander Seeds 1 tbsp
- Whole red chillies 4
- Tamarind 1 lemon size ball, soaked
- Turmeric 1/4 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil 3 tsp
- Mustard 1 tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Asafoetida a pinch
Directions
- In a pressure cooker, take black chanas, water and salt and keep it on high flame. After first blow of whistle, simmer and cook for half an hour. Once the pressure drops, remove them in a deep vessel and mash them a little. Do not discard the liquid.
- Now take yam and water (just enough to cook them) in the cooker and keep it on high flame. Switch off the flame just before the whistle blow as we don’t want them to turn mushy. Transfer them in the same deep vessel.
- Heat one teaspoon oil in a small pan and roast coriander seeds, 2 whole red chillies and garlic cloves. Saute till you see them changing their colour. Keep them aside and let them cool.
- Grind them to powder in a mixer / blender.
- Add coconut, tamarind, turmeric and some water to the above and blend them together to get a smooth paste.
- Keep the deep vessel on fire, add the above coconut paste, some salt and and bring it to boil. Simmer and let it cook for 6 – 8 minutes. Gravy should be thick so adjust the consistency accordingly.
- For tempering, heat two teaspoon of oil, add mustard, curry leaves, 2 red chillies and asafoetida. Pour them over the curry.
- Serve hot with phulka or puris.
