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Kangri khatta
कांगड़ी खट्टा: Kangra dham chickpeas in a dark, tangy tamarind-jaggery gravy
At a Kangra dham, the leaf-plate feast cooked by botis (Brahmin cooks) for weddings and village festivals, khatta comes towards the end, a dark, sweet-sour dish of chickpeas or pumpkin in a gravy soured with tamarind or dried mango and balanced with jaggery. It is served with rice and has no onion or garlic. The gravy is thin, glossy and almost black from the long-cooked tamarind. The common mistake is adding the tamarind to undercooked chickpeas; the acid stops them softening, so cook them fully first. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of rice flour or gram flour stirred into the gravy gives the dham-style gloss without making it heavy.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the khatta
- 3 ¾ cups water
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch gluten-free asafoetida (hing)
- 4 tbsp tamarind pulpthick
- 1 ¾ oz jaggerygrated
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp rice flourmixed with 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp salt
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cook in 3 ¾ cups water until completely soft: 40 minutes in a pot, or 5–6 whistles in a pressure cooker. Keep the cooking water.
40 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan until it smokes, then lower the heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 2 dried red chillies and fry until the cumin darkens.
2 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp ground fennel with a splash of water and stir 1 minute.
1 minStep 4: Add the chickpeas with 400 ml of their water, 4 tbsp tamarind pulp, 1 ¾ oz jaggery and 1 tsp salt. Simmer 10 minutes until the gravy is dark and the chickpeas have soaked up the sourness.
10 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tsp rice flour and simmer 2 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened. Finish with ½ tsp garam masala and serve with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kangri khatta take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- 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).
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