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Chana jor garam
চানাচুর গরম · flattened crisp chickpeas tossed with onion, lime and chilli
Chana jor garam is sold from a tin box slung round a vendor's neck on the Kolkata Maidan, at Babughat and along Esplanade, with a sing-song call to match its name. Chickpeas are soaked, pressed flat, and fried or roasted until crunchy, then tossed to order with raw onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander, lime and a spice mix, and handed over in a paper cone. It is lighter than jhalmuri and much crunchier. The same snack is sold on Mumbai beaches; this is the Kolkata cart version. Chef's tip: flatten the soaked chickpeas while still damp, with a rolling pin between two cloths, so they split into thin discs.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chickpeas
For tossing
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 5 ½ oz dried brown chickpeas (kala chana) and boil in fresh water for 5 minutes only, so they soften slightly but stay firm. Drain and pat dry.
5 minStep 2: Lay them in a single layer between two clean tea towels and press firmly with a rolling pin or the base of a heavy pan to flatten each one into a disc. Leave to air-dry for 10 minutes; damp chickpeas spit in the oil.
10 minStep 3: Heat 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a kadai over a medium heat. Fry the chickpeas in two batches for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the bubbling almost stops and they are crisp and a shade darker. Common mistake: frying too hot; they brown outside but stay chewy inside.
12 minStep 4: Drain on a rack and toss at once with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp black salt and ½ tsp dry mango powder (amchur). Cool completely; they keep in a jar for a week.
Step 5: To serve, toss a handful per person with 1 red onion, 1 small tomato, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, 1 tbsp lime juice and ½ tsp chaat masala, and eat immediately from paper cones.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chana jor garam take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of dried brown chickpeas (kala chana)?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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