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सफ़ेद चने | Safed Chany

Name: सफ़ेद चने | Safed Chany
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Punjabi
Ingredients: 1 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas), soaked overnight — काबुली चना; 3 cups water — पानी; 2–3 tej patta (bay leaves) — तेज पत्ता; 1 tsp whole coriander seeds (saabut dhaniya) — साबुत धनिया; 4–5 laung (cloves) — लौंग; sendha namak (rock salt) to taste — सेंधा नमक; 2 tbsp mustard oil — सरसों का तेल; 1 large red onion, blended to paste — प्याज़; 2 medium tomatoes, blended — टमाटर; 1 medium potato, cut into wedges — आलू; 3–4 green chillies, slit — हरी मिर्च; ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi) — हल्दी; 1 tsp red chilli powder — लाल मिर्च पाउडर; 1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder) — धनिया पाउडर; ½ tsp garam masala — गरम मसाला; salt to taste — नमक; fresh coriander, chopped — ताज़ा धनिया; ½ small red onion, thinly sliced — कटा हुआ प्याज़; 1–2 green chillies, sliced — हरी मिर्च

Boiled in whole spices, cooked in tomato-onion masala — Maa's safed chany with aloo

⏱️ Prep Time: 15 min 🔥 Cook Time: 30 min ⏰ Total Time: 45 min 🍽️ Servings: 3 ⭐ Easy 📊 280 cal/serving

Punjabi Main Course

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Oil Usage

🔴 6 tsp Mustard oil Standard-Oil

Ingredients

3 srv

For the chana (pressure cooker)

1 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas), soaked overnight — काबुली चना
3 cups water — पानी
2–3 tej patta (bay leaves) — तेज पत्ता
1 tsp whole coriander seeds (saabut dhaniya) — साबुत धनिया
4–5 laung (cloves) — लौंग
sendha namak (rock salt) to taste — सेंधा नमक

For the masala

2 tbsp mustard oil — सरसों का तेल
1 large red onion, blended to paste — प्याज़
2 medium tomatoes, blended — टमाटर
1 medium potato, cut into wedges — आलू
3–4 green chillies, slit — हरी मिर्च
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi) — हल्दी
1 tsp red chilli powder — लाल मिर्च पाउडर
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder) — धनिया पाउडर
½ tsp garam masala — गरम मसाला
salt to taste — नमक

Garnish

fresh coriander, chopped — ताज़ा धनिया
½ small red onion, thinly sliced — कटा हुआ प्याज़
1–2 green chillies, sliced — हरी मिर्च

Instructions

Soak the kabuli chana in plenty of water overnight (8 hours minimum). Drain and rinse.

💡 Tip: Overnight soaking makes the chana cook faster and easier to digest. Even 6 hours works in a pinch — but overnight is best.

Add the soaked chana to the pressure cooker with 3 cups water, bay leaves, whole coriander seeds, cloves, and rock salt. Cook on medium heat for 4–5 whistles, then turn off. Let the pressure release naturally.

💡 Tip: Boiling the chana with whole spices — not in the masala — is what gives them deep flavour from the inside. Don't skip this step.

Meanwhile, blend the onion to a smooth paste in a mixer. Blend the tomatoes separately. Cut the potato into wedges and slit the green chillies.

💡 Tip: Blending raw onion to paste (rather than slicing and frying) is a Punjabi home shortcut — it gives a smoother, lighter masala without the long browning step.

Heat mustard oil in a wide pot on medium-high until it just starts to smoke (this removes the pungency). Add the onion paste and cook, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and the paste turns light golden — about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking until oil separates from the masala, about 5 minutes. Add haldi, red chilli powder, and dhaniya powder. Add the potato wedges and slit green chillies. Cook 5 more minutes.

💡 Tip: Heating mustard oil to smoking point first removes its sharp bite — it becomes sweeter and more mellow. Skip this only if using regular vegetable oil.

Open the cooker. Add the boiled chana to the masala along with about 1 cup of the chana cooking water. Stir well. Taste for salt and add garam masala. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until the gravy thickens and coats the chana. Adjust consistency with more cooking water if needed.

💡 Tip: Using the chana cooking water (not plain water) carries all those whole-spice flavours into the final gravy. Don't throw it away.

Turn off the heat. Top generously with fresh chopped coriander, thin slices of raw red onion, and green chilli. Serve hot with chapati, paratha, or puri.

💡 Tip: The raw garnish — especially the fresh onion and green chilli — is not optional. It brings a fresh crunch that balances the cooked gravy. Add it just before serving, never before.

📊 Nutrition Facts

Per serving (servings 3)

280

Calories

14g

Protein

Fat

38g

Carbs

10g

Fiber

About This Recipe

A hearty Punjabi white chickpea curry — kabuli chana soaked overnight and pressure-cooked with whole spices, then stirred into a tomato-onion masala with chunks of potato. Finished with a handful of fresh coriander, sliced onion, and green chilli. No masala packet. Just Maa's way.