Black Chickpeas: What Kala Chana Is and How to Cook It
Discover black chickpeas, also called kala chana, and how they differ from pale chickpeas.
Black chickpeas, or kala chana, are a dark-skinned type of desi chickpea. They are smaller and more angular than many pale chickpeas sold as kabuli chana, with a firm skin and an earthy flavor. Their color can range from dark brown to nearly black.
They are used whole in curries, salads and snacks. Remove the skin and split this type of chickpea and you get the yellow pulse known as chana dal.
Kala chana versus kabuli chickpeas
Both are chickpeas, but they are different types. Kabuli chickpeas are usually larger and pale, and are commonly sold canned for hummus and salads. Kala chana are darker and tend to have a firmer skin. Either can be used in a chickpea curry, but the appearance and texture will change.
Chana dal is another form again: split and skinned desi chickpea. It needs different cooking instructions from whole kala chana and can soften into a thicker dal.
How to cook dried kala chana
Sort and rinse the chickpeas, then soak in plenty of water. Dassana's Veg Recipes recommends 8–9 hours or overnight for its kala chana curry; drain and rinse before cooking. Simmer in fresh water until tender all the way through, adding water if needed. Her stovetop method notes that soaked kala chana can take more than an hour in a regular pot.
Pressure-cooker times depend on the appliance and recipe. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and check that several chickpeas are fully tender before adding them to a dish. Soaking makes them easier to cook; it does not make them ready to eat without cooking.
How do you use them?
Make a curry with onion, tomato and spices, or toss cooked and cooled kala chana with chopped vegetables and lemon for chaat. In a South Indian-style sundal, cooked chickpeas can be seasoned and served as a snack or side.
For a substitute, cooked kabuli chickpeas are convenient in a flexible salad or curry. They will be paler and usually softer, so add them with that change in mind.