Vengayam Chana (Chickpeas in Onion Sauce)

This was the very first chickpea curry we ever made. It appeal to me because it allowed for starting with dried chickpeas whereas pretty much every other chana recipe in the book lists cooked chickpeas in the ingredients. This meant that I didn't have to worry about trying to cook a pot of beans before assembling the curry. I could just toss them into the slow-cooker and let them do their thing.

Vengayam Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 c. dried chickpeas
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 4 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 2 (3") cinnamon sticks
• 2 onions, 1 halved and sliced, 1 chopped
• 2 tsp. Sambhar masala
• 3/4 tsp. tsp. black salt
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 400mL diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 2 fresh green Thai or cayenne chilies, stems removed
• 2 c. water
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• 15 fresh or frozen curry leaves

Directions

1. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly.
2. Add water to cover and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add cumin seeds, cardamom pods, dried chilies, and cinnamon sticks and cook for ~1 minute.
5. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for ~5 minutes.
6. Add sambhar masala, black salt, and sea salt.
7. Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker.
8. Combine diced tomatoes, chopped onion, tamarind paste, and fresh chilies in blender and purée until smooth.
9. Pour puréed mixture into slow cooker.
10. Add 1/2 c. water to blender and swish it around to rinse out any bits left in the jar. Pour this into the slow cooker as well.
11. Add the remaining 1 1/2 c. water along with the cilantro, coconut, and curry leaves.
12. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the slow cooker as well.
13. Give the contents a stir, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 12 hours.
14. Serve over rice.