Black Chickpeas / Kala Chana

Also known asKala Chana · Bengal Gram · Cicer arietinum

Name: Black chickpeas, called kala chana in India (Cicer arietinum) — small, round, dark brown to black chickpeas with a thick, rough skin, a nutty, earthy flavour and a firm, chewy texture. They are a type of desi chickpea.

Description

Kala chana is the most widely grown chickpea in India, and is a staple of Indian cooking, in curries, snacks and sweets. It is a desi-type chickpea, native to the Near East and domesticated about 10,000 years ago, and is the form that was spread to the Indian subcontinent. It is the whole version of chana dal, which is made by splitting and skinning it.

Black chickpeas are smaller and denser than the pale kabuli chickpeas, with a stronger flavour, and a high fibre content because of the thick seed coat. They take longer to cook, and keep their shape. Popular dishes include kala chana curry, the sweet offering kala chana and halwa at religious festivals, and the Kerala dish kadala curry.

Main nutrition value

Black chickpeas are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provide iron, folate, magnesium, manganese and zinc, with a low glycaemic effect.

How best to be consumed

Black chickpeas are soaked and cooked until tender but firm.

1. Soak dried pulses in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse, which shortens cooking time and reduces gas.
2. Pressure-cook or simmer for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours until soft but still holding their shape.
3. Cook into curries with onion, tomato, garam masala and ginger, as in kala chana masala.
4. Sprout and eat as a salad or snack, after cooking lightly.
5. Roast for a crunchy snack, or add to salads and soups.
6. Buy canned black chickpeas for convenience, and rinse them.

Overconsumption could cause…

Black chickpeas are healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in pulses, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
2. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes, and cross-reaction between chickpeas, lentils and peanuts in some.
3. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried pulses, which soaking and thorough cooking reduce.
4. Digestive upset from undercooked pulses, which contain natural lectins that thorough cooking destroys.

GroupsChickpeasLegume familyIndian

Related foodsChickpea Flour / BesanChickpea PastaDesi ChickpeasHummusKabuli ChickpeasRoasted Chickpeas

Wikipedia — Chickpea, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea