When I made Chana Madra for the first time ever, which was quite recently, my wife and I thought that it was a refreshingly delicious take on an Indian dish cooked with spices. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and the array of spices that go into it give it a delicious, tangy flavor which is truly characteristic of Indian cuisines. Chana Madra is a traditional dish from the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The sauce in Madra is made from yogurt flavored with a number of spices. It is enriched with dry fruits, such as cashews and raisins, and traditionally it is often cooked with dried apricots because they are native to the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is cooked with a variety of ingredients such as Chickpeas (Chana), Red Kidney Beans (Rajma), Mushrooms or other vegetables.
Ingredients
3 cups Chickpeas (1 lb 13 oz can)
2 cups Yogurt
1 Medium Potato cut into cubes
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/4 tsp Asafetida (Hing)
2″ Piece of Cinnamon
1 piece of Mace
2 Cloves
Seeds of 2 Green Cardamoms
Seeds of 1 Black Cardamom
1-2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds or 1.5 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1 tbsp Cashew Nuts
1 tbsp Raisins
1/2 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Qasuri Methi)
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
Preparation
1. Drain all the liquid in the Chickpeas can and rinse the Chickpeas well under running water.
2. Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.
3. Crack open the Green and Black Cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Use the skins the next time you make Masala Tea.
4. Add all the whole spices and the cardamom seeds into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
Cooking
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Add the Bay Leaves, Cinnamon Stick and the Ginger-garlic paste and cook for about a minute.
2. Add the freshly ground spice blend, Turmeric Powder and Red Chili Powder and stir.
3. Add the rinsed Chickpeas and potatoes to the pot, mix well and fry them for about 2-3 minutes and add the salt and mix again.
4. Add the yogurt into the pan and stir continuously for a few minutes until it is mixed well and becomes watery.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the raisins and cashews and stir them in.
6. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid completely dries up. The potatoes should have softened and you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork.
Before serving, remove the Bay Leaves and Cinnamon. Serve Chana Madra with rice or roti, or eat it plain – it’s delicious either way!
Curry on!
- 3 cups Chickpeas (1 lb 13 oz can)
- 2 cups Yogurt
- 1 Medium Potato cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- ¼ tsp Asafetida (Hing)
- 2″ Piece of Cinnamon
- 1 piece of Mace
- 2 Cloves
- Seeds of 2 Green Cardamoms
- Seeds of 1 Black Cardamom
- 1-2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds or 1.5 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp Cashew Nuts
- 1 tbsp Raisins
- ½ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Qasuri Methi)
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
- PREPARATION: Drain all the liquid in the Chickpeas can and rinse the Chickpeas well under running water. Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes. Crack open the Green and Black Cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Use the skins the next time you make Masala Tea. Add all the whole spices and the cardamom seeds into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Add the Bay Leaves, Cinnamon Stick and the Ginger-garlic paste and cook for about a minute.
- Add the freshly ground spice blend, Turmeric Powder and Red Chili Powder and stir.
- Add the rinsed Chickpeas and potatoes to the pot, mix well and fry them for about 2-3 minutes and add the salt and mix again.
- Add the yogurt into the pan and stir continuously for a few minutes until it is mixed well and becomes watery.
- Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so and then add the raisins and cashews and stir them in.
- Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid completely dries up. The potatoes should have softened and you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork.
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