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Bhatt ki churkani
भट्ट की चुड़कानी: Kumaon's dark, earthy black soybean curry (plus overnight soaking)
Black soybeans, called bhatt, grow on the slopes around Almora and Pithoragarh, and churkani is the everyday Kumaoni way of eating them: roasted in a dry iron pan until they crack, then simmered with garlic, ginger and a little rice flour into a thick, nearly black gravy. It's the kind of food that keeps people warm through a hill winter, eaten with steamed rice, a spoonful of ghee and a sharp radish raita. The roasting gives a nutty, almost smoky taste you won't get from boiling the beans. Chef's tip: cook it in an iron kadhai if you have one; the metal reacts with the beans and gives churkani its traditional dark colour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
For the curry
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the dried 5 ½ oz black soybeans (kala bhatt) in a dry iron kadhai over a medium heat. Roast, stirring all the time, for 7–8 minutes until the beans crackle, many of the skins split and the kitchen smells nutty. Skipping or rushing this is the usual mistake: the curry then tastes raw and beany.
8 minStep 2: Tip the beans onto a plate. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in the same pan over a high heat until it just smokes, then lower to medium. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 dried red chillies and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and let them crackle for 15 seconds.
2 minStep 3: Add 5 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp fresh ginger and fry for 1 minute until the garlic turns pale gold. Stir in 2 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp red chilli powder for 20 seconds, adding a splash of water if the spices start to catch.
2 minStep 4: Return the roasted beans to the pan and stir for 2 minutes to coat them in the masala. Pour in 3 ¾ cups hot water, add 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil.
4 minStep 5: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the beans are tender when pressed between your fingers but still hold their shape. Add a little more hot water if the level drops below the beans.
40 minStep 6: Whisk 2 tbsp rice flour into ¼ cup cold water until smooth, then stir it into the pan. Simmer, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the gravy thickens and turns glossy and dark. Scatter over ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve with rice.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bhatt ki churkani take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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