Pindi Chana

Dassana Amit’s Pindi Chana is a dry chickpea preparation associated in her recipe with Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. Her adaptation of Neeta Dutta’s cookbook recipe uses ginger, garlic, ready chole masala and amchur to coat the cooked beans.

Dried white chickpeas are rinsed, soaked, drained and rinsed in fresh water. The selected stovetop pressure-cooker route cooks them with fresh water, cloves, cinnamon, black and green cardamom, Indian bay leaves, black salt and the selected optional black tea bag.

Once the cooker pressure falls, the lid is opened and the cooked chickpeas are drained in the selected strainer. The whole spices and tea bag are removed. Ginger and garlic are crushed in a mortar and pestle, then briefly sautéed in oil in a separate pan.

Red chilli powder, ground coriander, ready chole masala, garam masala and amchur are added over low heat and briefly sautéed. The cooked chickpeas are mixed through, salted and cooked over low heat with occasional stirring; more of the same salt or spice powders may adjust the seasoning.

The chickpeas are served hot with the selected roti, onion rings, green chillies and lemon wedges. This follows the offered lemon-wedge option rather than mixing lemon juice into the beans, with coriander leaves as an optional garnish.