AI-generated image
Chana jor garam
Spiced flattened chickpea snack
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
- 5 ½ oz dried brown chickpeas (kala chana)soaked 8 hours
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ¼ tsp black salt
For tossing
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 1 small tomatoseeded, finely chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp chaat masala
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Japanese
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
