Authentic Himachali Chana Madra with Bhabru
A festive Himachali delicacy featuring tender chickpeas simmered in a rich, spiced yogurt gravy, paired with crispy fermented lentil flatbreads. This aromatic combination offers a comforting blend of tangy and mildly sweet flavors unique to the hills.
70min
Total Time
4
Servings
Himachali
Cuisine
Recipe
1
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add cumin seeds, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf until fragrant.
2
Lower the heat and slowly add the whisked curd, stirring continuously to prevent curdling until the yogurt comes to a gentle boil.
3
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, fennel powder, and dry ginger powder to the yogurt gravy and mix well.
4
Add the boiled chickpeas and salt, simmering on low heat for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens and coats the chickpeas.
5
Stir in the sugar or jaggery for a mild traditional sweetness, then turn off the heat.
6
For the bhabru, combine whole wheat flour, black gram paste, a pinch of salt, and water to knead a soft dough.
7
Roll small portions of the dough into flat discs and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
8
Serve the hot Chana Madra alongside the freshly fried bhabru.
Ingredients
2 cups boiled white chickpeas (kabuli chana)
2 cups thick whisked curd (yogurt)
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tablespoon sugar or jaggery
Salt to taste
1 cup whole wheat flour for bhabru
1/2 cup soaked black gram paste for bhabru
Oil for deep frying
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.