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Navratri Ashtami Prasad – Kala Chana Recipe

Navratri Ashtami Prasad – Kala Chana Recipe

The Kala Chana recipe is passed on to generations. The recipe of Kala Chana brings back a lot of childhood memories. It is served with Poori and Sooji Halwa at the end of the Navratri fasting season. This is the traditional Ashtami or Navmi Prasad. The combination of halwa, poori, and chana is lip-smacking and mouth-watering.

It is my version of the Navratri Special Dry Kala Chana Recipe. I make it slightly gravy-style because it tastes better. Enjoy this happy meal every Navratri season. 🙂

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What is the Navratri Festival?

Navratri (also known as Navaratri or Navrate), is a joyous Hindu festival. It is celebrated over 9 to 10 days. “Navratri” is a word from the Sanskrit language – Nav means nine and Ratri means night. This festival is celebrated two times a year, once in the spring (Chaitra Navratri) and once in the autumn (Sharad Navratri). Sharad Navratri falls during September or October and is widely celebrated all across India.

One of the main aspects of Navratri is fasting (known as Vrat or Upvas). During fasting, devotees avoid eating some foods, like grains, pulses, onions, garlic, alcohol, and non-vegetarian items. But they eat fasting food items like fruits, nuts, dairy products, etc.

Navratri fasting

What food items are allowed in Navratri?

Food items that are allowed during the Navratri season are as follows:

  1. Vegetables like potato, tomato, arbi, cucumber, carrot, bottle gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, etc.
  2. Fruits
  3. Dairy Products
  4. Coconut
  5. Nuts and Seeds
  6. Quinoa, Buckwheat, Little Millet (Samai or Samak), Water Chestnut Flour (Singhade Ka Aata).
  7. Spices like cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cardamom, carom seeds (ajwain), cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, etc.
  8. Rock Salt

What food items are not allowed in Navratri?

Food items that are not allowed during the Navratri season are as follows:

  1. Onion and Garlic: They are Tamsik in nature and hence not consumed.
  2. Lentils and Pulses like moong dal, chana dal, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.
  3. Grains and their flours like wheat flour, gram flour (besan), etc.
  4. Eggs, Non-Vegetarian Food Items like chicken.
  5. Alcohol (some people avoid smoking too).
  6. Salt
  7. Canned Food Items

Everybody has their own beliefs and follows their own rules during the fasting period. That is why, I suggest you adjust the recipes based on how you follow your fasting and celebrate Navratri.

Tips to make it right

1 – Soaking

Kala Chana takes a long time to cook. It is important to soak them the night before or at least for 6 to 8 hours.

2 – Consistency

Some people make it dry but we prefer a little gravy-like consistency. It tastes better with pooris and halwa. It is not curried but has a little mashed-up consistency. I simply mash it a little from the back of the ladle or spatula once it is done. Don’t overdo it otherwise it will become like a halwa.

Kala chana tends to keep on absorbing water. So, adjust the consistency accordingly. Switch off the flame when it still has some water left. Because once rested for a few minutes, it tends to get dry. You will know when you make it. Don’t worry.

Ashtami Prasad Sooji Halwa

Is this recipe vegan-friendly?

Yes. It is a 100% plant-based recipe.

Generally, this recipe is made using ghee. But since I don’t eat ghee or avoid dairy, I make it using cooking oil. It tastes delicious.

More Vegan Recipes for you to try – Fudgy Chocolate Brownie, Banana Walnut Muffins, Thai Green Curry.

How to cook Kala Chana?

Before cooking Kala Chana or black chickpeas, always soak them in water overnight or at least for 6 to 8 hours. This step is very important because it helps in the faster cooking of chickpeas. After they are soaked for hours, they absorb the water and become bigger. That is why always soak them in a bigger bowl with a water level at least 3 inches above the level of chana.

To cook chickpeas, you will need either a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

Pressure Cooker:

Add chickpeas to the pressure cooker with enough water. Add some salt and anardana powder to it. Close the lid and let them cook on high flame till the first whistle. After a whistle, lower the flame and cook for another 20 minutes. Let it depressurize on its own. Once depressurized, you will notice that the chickpeas are soft and tender. They should get mashed on pressing between the fingers.

Instant Pot:

This is the easiest method to cook anything. You just need to add chickpeas, water, some salt, and other seasonings. Close the lid and choose the PRESSURE COOK mode. It cooks in 20 – 25 minutes. Then, let it release the pressure on its own.

I would suggest not to use any pot or pan to cook chickpeas. They take a very long time to get soft and well-cooked.

More Navratri Fasting Recipes

  1. Roasted Makhana
  2. Makhana Kheer
  3. Amaranth and Dates Energy Bars
  4. Quinoa Cutlets
  5. Kuttu Ka Cheela (Savory Buckwheat Pancakes)
  6. Sabudana Khichdi

That’s it, my dear friend. You are all ready to make this kala chana recipe at home. It is one of the best Indian Vegetarian Recipes. It is perfect for an office lunch box too. So, grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make a delicious happy meal for yourself.

If you try this recipe, please share your reviews in the comment section below. Do share a photo on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We love seeing your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking.

Love from us

Richa & Jatin

Navratri Ashtami Prasad – Kala Chana Recipe

Recipe that reminds the childhood.

Tell us what you think

The recipe that brings back our childhood memories. As soon as Navratri comes, we all start craving for Chana, Poori and Halwa. And it tastes even better during the festivals. Isn't it? Try our version of the Kala Chana recipe. It's lip-smacking!

2

Servings

5 min

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

Courses


Ingredients

Pressure Cook Chana

Spices

Other

Steps

Pressure Cook Chana
  1. Pre-soak Kala chana overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hrs. 
  2. Wash it 2 - 3 times with water.
  3. Add them to the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. I am using Instant Pot. 
  4. Add water, anardana powder, and salt. Pressure Cook for 20-25 minutes. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook on high flame till 1 whistle. Then, lower the flame and cook for another 20 minutes. The Kala chana should be well cooked and soft.
  5. Let the cooker depressurize itself.
  6. Once done, strain the chana but do not discard the water. We will need it later. Keep it aside.
Tempering
  1. In a pan, add cooking oil or ghee and let it heat.
  2. Once heated, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle for a few seconds till it turns dark brown. 
  3. Keep the flame medium-high.
  4. Add asafoetida and stir for 5 to 7 seconds. It burns fast. So, keep the flame on medium-low.
  5. Add boiled Kala chana, Dhania Powder, Red Chilli Powder, and Amchur. Keep mixing for 2 minutes on high flame. 
  6. Add green chilies and water in which chana has been boiled. Mix well. Cover and let it cook till you get the desired consistency.
  7. Kala chana keeps on absorbing water once cooled. So, keep the consistency accordingly.
  8. We prefer a little mashed-up gravy-like Kala chana. Once the water is a little absorbed, I slightly mash the chanas using the back of the spatula/ladle. 
  9. If it dries out, add a little water and cook for a few minutes.
  10. Once you get the desired consistency, add roasted cumin powder. Mix well and switch off the flame. The Kala chana is ready to be served.
  11. Serve with sooji halwa and poori. This combination is addictive. Enjoy your happy meal at home :)

FAQs

Is Navratri Special Kala Chana Recipe Vegan?
+
Yes. It is a 100% plant-based recipe. Generally, this recipe is made using ghee. But since I don’t eat ghee or avoid dairy, I make it using cooking oil. It tastes absolutely delicious.

How to cook kala chana or black chickpeas?
+
Before cooking Kala Chana or black chickpeas, always soak them in water overnight or at least for 6 to 8 hours. This step is very important because it helps in the faster cooking of chickpeas. After they are soaked for hours, they absorb the water and become bigger in size. That is why always soak them in a bigger bowl with a water level at least 3 inches above the level of chana. To cook chickpeas, you will need either a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

Pressure Cooker:

Add chickpeas to the pressure cooker with enough water. Add some salt and anardana powder to it. Close the lid and let them cook on high flame till the first whistle. After a whistle, lower the flame and cook for another 20 minutes. Let it depressurize on its own. Once depressurized, you will notice that the chickpeas are soft and tender. They should get mashed on pressing between the fingers.

Instant Pot:

This is the easiest method to cook anything. You just need to add chickpeas, water, some salt, and other seasonings. Close the lid and choose the PRESSURE COOK mode. It cooks in 20 – 25 minutes. Then, let it release the pressure on its own. I would suggest not to use any pot or pan to cook chickpeas. They take a very long time to get soft and well cooked.

How to correct the leftover totally dry kala chana?
+
Kala chana keeps on absorbing water. The leftover chana gets very dry. I simply add a little water depending on the consistency I need and let it cook well for a few minutes till it is hot and boiling. Cooking for a little while at this stage is important otherwise you will get the taste of water in the sabji. And don’t worry. It is not rocket science. It is very simple.

What are the ingredients of Navratri?
+
Everyone has different Navratri fasting rules. But I feel fasting is not to impress any god but to rejuvenate and reset your body. During Navratri, include more raw vegetables and fruits in your diet. Eat nuts, seeds, makhanas, and dates because they keep you full. You can include different millets like buckwheat (kuttu) and samai. You can buy their rawa and make something like upma with different vegetables and peanuts. You can even buy buckwheat flour or singhara atta and make some thalipeeth or roti. I prefer to avoid pooris and halwa since they get very oily and greasy. My idea is to relax the stomach. Apart from that, you can have milk (dairy or coconut), curd (dairy or coconut), and quinoa too. For salt, use natural, unprocessed, and no chemical salt. It is called sendha namak in India or you can also buy Himalayan Pink Salt since that is also chemical-free and natural. Things that are avoided are – onion, garlic, lentils, rice, whole wheat, millets like ragi, foxtail millet, etc., and regular salt. I have a lot of fasting recipes in my youtube channel. Please have a look.

Which Salt is used in Navratri?
+

For salt, use natural, unprocessed, and no chemical salt. It is called sendha namak in India or you can also buy Himalayan Pink Salt since that is also chemical-free and natural.

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