PINDI CHANA

PINDI CHANA - CHICK PEAS COOKED WITH SPICES AND TINTED WITH INDIAN GOOSE BERRY AND TEA LEAVES......

Ingredients :

Chick peas (Kabuli Chana) - 2 Cups
Onions - 1/2 Cup (Finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 1/2 Cup (finely chopped)
Cinnamon stick  - 1 Inch
Black cardamom - 2-3 pieces
Green cardamom - 4 pieces
Bay leaves - 2
Asafoetida  - 2 Pinches
Dry Indian goose berry ( Amla) - 4 pieces 
Tea leaves (CTC) - 1Tsp
Salt - according to taste
Digestive fruit salt (Eno) - 1 Heaped Tsp 
Oil - 3 Tbsp

For the tempering :

Clarified butter (Desi ghee) - 2 Tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 Tsp
Dry pomegranate powder - 1 Tsp
Powdered garam masala - 1 Tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2  Tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 Tsp
Ginger - 2 Tsp (julienne )
Green chili - 4 (slit)
Cilantro - 1 Tsp (chopped)

Method :

Wash and soak the chick peas in water along with the asafoetida powder for 8 to 10 hours.
Discard the water.
Heat oil in a pressure pan and add the onions and the whole spices (bay leaves, green and black cardamom, cinnamon ) 
Fry them until golden.
On the other hand boil the tea leaves in 4 cups of water. Strain the tea.
Add in the chopped tomatoes to the golden onions and cook until they turn tender.
Add the soaked chick peas and saute for 2 minutes.
Add to this the strained tea along with salt and Eno and dry goose berries.
Close the pressure lid .
Pressure cook on full flame until the steam forms then reduce the flame to low and further cook for 20 minutes.
Let the steam remain in the cooker ,
Once the steam finishes open the lid , Check if the chick peas are done....if not then further pressure cook for 10 minutes (it happens with some tough varieties of chick peas).
Discard the whole spices and the goose berries from the cooked chanas.
Further cook the chanas on full flame without the lid until the excess stock evaporates.

Heat the clarified butter in a pan.
Add the slit green chilies along with the julienne ginger ....saute for half a minute.
Add the Coriander powder, Dry pomogranate powder, Garam masala, Cumin powder, Chili powder and saute for 1 minute.
Add the cilantro.
Pour this tempering over the cooked chanas.
Mix well.
Serve hot with bhaturas, naans, paranthas or kulchas with onion rings....