Simple Gluten Free Kitchen

Choliya / Green Chana Curry

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Chickpeas are popular among all parts of the world however, most people are familiar with beige color chickpeas, popularly known as garbanzo beans. Green chana or green garbanzo, most commonly known as Punjabi choliya is entirely different from its counterpart, its fresh. You can also find dried green chickpeas but fresh tastes the best. I include all three varieties of chickpeas in my routine cooking for their health benefits and wonderful taste.
Choliya / green chana is available in North India when fresh crops of chickpeas are harvested. Vendors sell long stalks of choliya plant to which pods are attached. Each pod contains one or two seeds. Its a bit tedious work to remove every single legume from its pod but believe me, its all worth the effort and kind of soothing if you do it while watching TV or ask your kids to do it, they will enjoy shelling fresh green chana, coz its like popping the bubble wrap. They are puffed up with air and give a delightful popping sound when squeezed.The grey green foliage of chickpea plant is not thrown away but also used for cooking. If you are lucky enough to grow your own or get the fresh one from market, its real delight to eat raw green chickpeas as a snack seasoned with some lemon juice, salt and black pepper.  There are other ways also to enjoy fresh green chickpeas, like roasting pods over fire, adding steamed chickpeas in salads just like edamame, stuffing in parathas, cooking curries or adding them to pulao in place of peas. In Canada, you won’t find the stalks of this plant but California grown fresh chickpeas are available from April in some Indian stores and farmer’s market.
And also, thanks to Frozen food companies that bring seasonal vegetables to our home all year round. You can just open a bag, add a few ingredients and a healthy dish is ready in minutes.The sweet and wonderful texture of cooked fresh chana is totally different compared to the taste of dried chickpeas. I made choliya curry out of frozen green chickpeas.  Since all beans give gastric distress, adding black cardamom brings relief, that’s the only dry spice I used in place of the usual Indian garam masala. It has a slight smoky fragrance and the pods are slightly crushed before using.

CHOLIYA / GREEN CHANA/ CHICKPEA CURRY

Ingredients:
1(310 gm) packet frozen Punjabi choliya (green chana)
1 onion (heaped 1/2 cup when ground)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 potato, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 black cardamom,smashed (once by rolling pin)
3 tbsp oil
salt as per taste
2 cups water to cook in pressure cooker

Method: 

Wash the frozen chana and keep aside. Heat oil in a pressure cooker or crock pot.

 Add and saute the ground onion until pinkish. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the color changes to golden brown.

Now add crushed tomatoes, turmeric and red chilly powder.

Let it cook until the tomatoes leaves the sides and look nicely done. Add diced potato, choliya, smashed black cardamom with shell and two cups of water. Give it a quick stir.

Lock the cooker lid, bring it to full pressure, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. (If using a crock pot cook choliya until soft, you have to add more water).

Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop normally. Open the cooker, add salt and cilantro. Discard the cardamom and serve choliya with boiled basmati rice.

Update: Year 2014

Green chana from Costco and Whole foods is very tender. It doesn’t take long to cook. So if you are using that reducing the cooking time. I usually add after the potatoes are half cooked.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I haven’t made Chholiya ki Sabzi since ages and your post reminds me its time. Love your delicious and healthy looking recipe. I am suddenly hit with a craving for this curry!

    Reply

  4. I really want to scoop out some of that curry right off the screen ! hahahaha Especially the last photo ! Chickpeas ?! I love it ! Though I haven’t tried it fresh tsk tsk !

    Reply

  5. I have never made Choliya curry before and would love to try it now!!Looks so delicious and very very tempting!Need to get some from my Indian Grocer 🙂

    Reply

  6. We do get the fresh peas as well as those already pre-pared in cans. I have made something of similar recipe like yours long time ago and have completely forgotten now on it. Lovely and spicy curry type recipe with the peas inside and just like you did, we will dig in with a plate of rice.

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  7. Neetu I just love all your vegetarian dishes. This sounds wonderful although I have never had the green chickpeas, I will have to look for them the next time I go to the market in Orlando. Stop by and see the new banana wrappers with fruit. Similar to the sesame ones but they don’t puff up. Did you have any luck finding them?. Have a lovely weekend.

    Reply

  8. Hi Balvinder,
    This looks fantastic. I am crazy about typical punjabi food and this looks divine! I love the way you have presented it. All I need is the dish now.

    Reply

  10. I wonder if I can find the green chickpeas in Australia – in fact I wonder if they are grown here. I presume the climate would be good for them so probably somewhere. I will enjoy looking. How different is the flavour compared with the dried version? The dish looks lovely.

    Reply

  11. Very interesting post! I did not even know that they’re so many variety of chickpeas! Looks really tasty these green chana curry! Will try to get this peas at our local Indian grocery store! Hopefully they have it so that I can try this delicious & healthy dish! Can’t wait! Great to learn something new again from you! Have a lovely weekend , Balvinder 🙂

    Reply

  12. This is one of the more unique curry dishes I have seen. I enjoy stopping in here and find out more about India’s great cuisine. I did not know there were green chickpeas nor did I have the information on the black cardamon.
    You not only make some amazing recipes, you are very knowledgeable when it comes to ingredients. This particular post reflects just that-well done. Enjoy the weekend!

    Reply

  26. Have very fond memories of my nanka with chili ya. My nani used to buy fresh choliya from street vendor in winters and made some yummy curry. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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