Chickpeas appear frequently on PureCurry.com—and for good reason. They are hearty, nutritious, and incredibly versatile in Indian cooking. My wife happens to love chickpeas, so I’m always experimenting with new ways to cook them.
If you enjoy chickpeas as much as we do, you may also want to try two other recipes on the blog: Chana Masala and Chana Madra. Interestingly, I had never heard of Chana Madra until I saw it featured on an Indian food and culture show. It turned out to be a wonderful discovery—rich, tangy, and surprisingly easy to make.
Another excellent chickpea dish from North Indian cuisine is Pindi Chana, a flavorful preparation that comes from the city of Rawalpindi in present-day Pakistan. Unlike the saucier Chana Masala, Pindi Chana is a drier dish with bold spices and a deep, earthy flavor.
If you start with canned chickpeas, this dish can come together quickly. However, I usually cook from dried chickpeas because the texture and flavor are better.
What Makes Pindi Chana Unique
One distinctive technique used in Pindi Chana is boiling the chickpeas with black tea. The tea doesn’t make the dish taste like tea—instead, it gives the chickpeas a beautiful dark color and adds a subtle smoky depth.
Another hallmark of this dish is its tangy flavor. Many of my recipes use amchur (dried mango powder) for sourness, but Pindi Chana often includes anardana (dried pomegranate seed powder), an ingredient commonly used in Punjabi cooking.
Both ingredients work well, and you can use either—or even both—depending on your taste.
Serving Suggestions
Pindi Chana is best served hot, garnished with julienned ginger and chopped cilantro.
This dish pairs beautifully with naan, roti, paratha, bhatura, or steamed basmati rice.
Because it is a relatively dry preparation, it also works well as part of a larger North Indian meal alongside yogurt dishes, pickles, and fresh salads.
Pindi Chana
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Chickpeas or 3 cups canned Chickpeas
- 2 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Black Tea Bags
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp Carom Seeds Ajwain
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafetida Hing
- 1 inch piece of Ginger julienned
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Dry Mango Powder Amchur
- 1 tsp Pomegranate Seed Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves Kasuri Methi
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Salt adjust to taste
Method
- Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for at least 6 hours.
- After soaking, drain the chickpeas and discard the soaking water.
- Add the soaked chickpeas to a pot with 5 cups of water, a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, black cardamom, cloves, two black tea bags, and ½ tsp sal
- Boil on medium heat for 40–45 minutes until the chickpeas are soft but still hold their shape.
- Keep an eye on the pot and add hot water if needed.
- Once cooked, drain the Chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the tea bags and whole spices. You’ll notice that the chickpeas now have a darker color from the tea.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Add the Carom seeds (Ajwain) and Cumin Seeds (Jeera).
- When the seeds begin to sizzle, add asafetida (hing) and half of the julienned ginger.
- Cook the ginger for about one minute.
- Add the drained chickpeas to the pan along with the Kashmiri red chili powder, amchur, anardana powder, garam masala, and ½ tsp salt.
- Mix well so the chickpeas are evenly coated with the spices.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes on medium heat.
- Pour in the reserved chickpea cooking liquid.
- If there isn’t much liquid left, add about 1 cup of hot water.
- Continue cooking until most of the liquid evaporates and the chickpeas are well coated with the spices.
- Crush the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) between your palms and add it to the pan. Mix well and turn off the heat.
- Pindi Chana is best served hot, garnished with julienned ginger and chopped cilantro.
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