This Dry Black Chickpea or Sukha Kala Chana is an easy Indian dish made during the festival of Navratri. Make it in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. It is vegan, gluten-free, and high in protein. Enjoy this dry kala chana recipe the traditional way with Halwa and puri, or make a salad with chopped veggies.
In Hindi, “sookha” means dry. This is a dry preparation of kala chana, or black chickpeas. Sookha Kala Chana has a deeply earthy, nutty flavor and a firm bite that sets it apart from regular chickpeas, which are creamier.
Kala chana is high in fiber and protein and has a low glycemic index. These chickpeas are even more nutrition-packed than the white garbanzo chickpeas.
In North India, kala chana is made with just some basic spices and tangy dry mango powder or lemon juice, which is what I am sharing here. In South India, this is called Kala Chana Sundal, and is garnished with freshly grated coconut. You will be surprised how delicious this can be without many added ingredients.
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It is the Best Combination – Halwa, Puri, and Sookha Kala Chana
During Navratri, sookha kala chana is served along with suji halwa and puri. The idea is to have dishes without onion or garlic during Navratri.
This is a 9-day festival, during which on the 8th or 9th day (Ashtami or Navmi), 9 little girls (called Kanjak’s) are revered, fed this delicious food, and given presents. Nonetheless, this used to be my favorite day – good food and presents!
If you want to try more kala chana recipes, I have shared the recipe for Punjabi kala chana curry and kala chana chaat.
Sookha Kala Chana Recipe
It is important to soak black chickpeas before cooking. It helps with cooking faster as the chickpeas soak in the water and increase in size. However, if you forget to soak them, you can still pressure cook them for 45 minutes at high pressure. I made these Sookha Kala Chana in the Instant Pot. You can find these on Amazon or at an Indian grocery store (much cheaper).
There are 2 ways to make these chickpeas –
- The traditional way is to pressure-cook the kala chana in plenty of water. Then drain the excess water and separately temper them with cumin seeds and spices.
- The method I have shared here is a one-pot method: I first add the tempering and then pressure-cook the chickpeas with it.
I prefer the second method, as it is a one-pot way to make this dish in a pressure cooker. It is less work and has the same great taste. Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out.
Recipe Tips
Soaking: Make sure to soak the kala chana for at least 6-8 hours, or overnight. If you forget to soak, soak in hot water for 1-2 hours.
Pressure cook: It is best to use a pressure cooker when cooking black chana. You can use a stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.
Check doneness: If, after cooking, the kala chana are not soft (test by pressing between your thumb and index finger; it should mash easily), then pressure cook again for 8-10 minutes. You can also add a pinch of baking soda, which will help to soften the kala chana.
Save the cooking liquid: Save the dark brown liquid after cooking the chickpeas. We add it while sauteeing the chickpeas with spices. You can also use any leftover water to make roti dough or for other curries.
Using canned or pre-cooked black chickpeas: If using pre-cooked chickpeas, pressure-cook for just 5 minutes for the Instant Pot method. If you are making it on the stovetop, skip the pressure cooking steps, as the kala chana is already cooked.
How to Serve?
This dry kala chana is best served with poori and halwa on Ashtami or Navami for Prasad.
My kids love these as a side with dal or kadhi and rice, or enjoy them with roti.
Enjoy them as a salad by adding chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Here is my kala chana salad recipe.
More Chickpea Recipes
How to cook Chickpeas in the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot Chickpea Curry with Spinach (Chana Saag)
Instant Pot Coconut Chickpea Curry
Instant Pot Chana Masala (Punjabi Chole Masala / Chickpea Curry)
Dry Kala Chana (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana), rinsed & soaked in water for 6+ hours
- 1 cup Water, for cooking
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Green Chili Pepper, diced, optional
- 2 teaspoon Ginger, freshly grated, optional
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur), or lime juice
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, to garnish
Spices
- 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
Instructions
Soaking Kala Chana
- Wash the dry kala chana under running cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak in enough water (about 3 inches above the chana) for at least 6 hours or overnight. After the soaking time is done, discard the water.Note: If you forget to soak overnight, soak in hot water for 1-2 hours.
Instant Pot Method (One-pot)
- Start the pressure cooker in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter for about 30 seconds.
- Add the spices and mix them with the oil. Quickly add the soaked black chickpeas and mix them with the spices (quickly, so the spices don't burn being in the hot oil for long).
- Stir in the water for cooking. Press cancel, then close the lid with the vent in sealing position.
- Cook in manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 30 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, do a natural pressure release.
- Add dry mango powder and mix it well with the kala chana. If there is liquid in the pot, you can put it on sauté mode again to dry it. It will also dry off as the chana cool down.
- Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy dry kala chana with the puri and halwa. Another great way to enjoy these is as a high-protein salad. Add diced onions, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Other add-ons that work great are diced mango or avocado.
Stovetop Method
- Drain chickpeas and add them to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water.
- Pressure cook the chickpeas in a stovetop pressure cooker on high heat. After the first whistle, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 20-22 minutes (6-7 whistles). Allow the pressure to release naturally, then open the lid.Instant Pot Method: Pressure cook for 30 minutes on high pressure. Then do a natural pressure release.
- Drain the chickpeas, but reserve the liquid. It can be used in roti dough or dals. We will also use some later when sautéing.
- Add all the spices and dry mango powder to a small bowl and mix them with 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and add cumin seeds to it. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the diced green chili and ginger, if using.
- Add the drained chickpeas and half a cup of the reserved water. Add the spice mixture and give it all a good mix.
- Let the chickpeas cook for 5-7 minutes, then take them off the heat. The water will all be absorbed by this time.
- Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy sookha kala chana with the puri and halwa, or with dal, rice, and roti.
Been using the instant pot recipe for years, comes out perfect every time! Thank you Meeta ❤️
Hi Sonali – So happy to hear that! Consistent and perfect—just how we like it 😊
This recipe unfortunately did not work the first time around as the chickpeas were still quite hard after the first 30 minutes 🙁
Hi Andrew – Did you soak the chickpeas? Sometimes the chickpeas are old, and can take longer to cook even under pressure. Just ad extra time, about 10-15 depending on how hard they are.
I made it today and It is very tasty
Hi Jasmin – Happy to hear you enjoyed the Kala Chana!