I carry a lot of food memories. I recently craved a delicately spiced chick pea side dish that we had enjoyed at a local Afghan kabob place many years ago. While I couldn’t find that exact recipe, I stumbled upon this Pakistani recipe: https://sabihaskitchen.com/chikad-chanay/
Our modifications: first, after soaking the 1 lb dried chick peas in 8 cups water (in a large Lock and Lock rectangular container) overnight in the fridge, we drained the reconstituted chick peas in a colander and rinsed (see Note below). Then we placed back into the Lock and Lock, added 2 Tbsp baking soda, mixed into the drained chick peas, and then placed back in the fridge for 2 hours.
Second, when cooking the chick peas, we found that we needed at least 3 inches of water to cover them. We used 2 decaf English Breakfast tea bags. We also noticed significant frothing, so we frequently skimmed the bean cooking liquid. We found that 25-30 mins was needed to get the chick peas to the firm-tender stage. We drained the chick peas but didn’t rinse them, and we discarded the bean cooking liquid.
Third, we reduced the canola oil to 1/3 cup (from 1/2 cup). We added 1 medium onion (grated); 2 Tbsp each microplaned ginger and microplaned garlic (increased from 1 Tbsp each); 1 tsp each salt and black pepper; 4 oz crushed tomatoes (we used Whole Foods organic brand); and 1 tsp garam masala (we used Penzey’s). When reducing the sauce, we looked for evidence that the oil had separated from the tomato and that the tomato color had darkened by a shade.
Finally, we followed the instructions to add the chick peas and only 1/2 cup water (we fought the temptation to add more liquid). We coated the chick peas with the masala mixture, and we found that it needed to simmer covered for 15 mins (not just 4 mins) in order for the chick peas to be fully cooked. At the end of cooking, we found the dish slightly undersalted, so we added 1/4 tsp additional salt.
We served garnished with a sprig of cilantro and served with basmati rice. This dish was delicious, mildly spiced, and satisfying. (Jan. 2024)
Note: Another time, in lieu of overnight soaking, we tried the Quick Soak method described here: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/soaking-salting-dried-bean-myths-article. It resulted in a version of chikad chanay that was silken and tender, almost melted.
Cooking Adventures 