Kala Chana Soup (High-Protein Black Chickpea Soup)
Creamy, tangy kala chana soup made with black chickpeas, ginger-garlic and tamarind, a high-protein winter comfort soup ready in 30 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 1 blender or mixer grinder
- 1 deep pan
- 4 serving mugs or bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled kala chana black chickpeas, divided
- 3 cups boiled chana water reserved from boiling the chana
- ½ small onion finely chopped (for garnish)
- ½ tsp ginger chopped
- 1 green chilli
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder optional
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp tamarind water
- ¼ tsp black salt
- Regular salt to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Boil and separate. Boil the kala chana until soft, then separate the chana from the water. Reserve 3 cups of the boiled chana water.
- Make the paste. Blend ½ cup of the boiled chana with the ginger, garlic and green chilli into a smooth paste, adding a little water as needed.
- Build the soup. Pour the reserved chana water into a pan, add the chana paste and stir well to combine.
- Spice and boil. Add the coriander powder, Kashmiri chilli powder (if using), roasted cumin powder, black pepper, black salt and regular salt. Bring to a boil.
- Tamarind finish. When the soup thickens slightly, stir in the tamarind water and simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Serve. In each serving mug or bowl, add some chopped onion and a spoonful of the reserved boiled chana. Pour the hot soup over, then garnish with lemon juice and fresh coriander on top.
Video
Notes
Reserve the water after boiling kala chana. It adds flavour and nutrients to the soup while reducing food waste.
For a thicker, creamier soup, blend some extra boiled kala chana into the paste. Adjust the consistency with hot water as needed.