Kala chana bhuna with potatoes is a popular savory side dish in Bangladesh. This dish is always most popular during Ramadan but some of us still like to cook this up especially on cold days and enjoy them with muri(puffed rice) or even piyaju. It’s a easy dish to make especially being able to buy Kala chana already pre-boiled in cans. So this definitely speeds up the cooking process and gives us the chance to enjoy Kala chana bhuna whenever we crave for it. The addition of potatoes to this Kala chana bhuna just makes it even more tastier and completes the dish perfectly.

As well as making Kala chana bhuna you can also make the white/tan chana bhuna too. I have a recipe for this which you can also check out. Growing up I preferred the white/tan chana even though mom cooked the Kala chana bhuna more often. But now for some reason lately I’ve been craving the Kala chana bhuna lol….

Simple steps to making Kala Chana Bhuna

Kala chana bhuna is made pretty simply by cooking some onions in oil until light golden brown.

Then some salt and ginger paste is added. I like to add ginger paste to Kala chana as I know mom also adds ginger. This gives the chana a warm zesty flavor. After a minute or two of cooking, in go a blend of spices and these are the more common spices like turmeric, chili, coriander and cumin powder. Just a few spices to flavor the chana and potatoes.

Potatoes go perfectly with Kala chana bhuna. It just gives the chana that balance of textures. Potatoes are diced into smaller pieces. To somewhat match the size of the chana but a little bigger is perfectly fine. The potatoes are added into the cooked spices before adding in the chana just because they will take just that little longer to cook then the chana. The chana are of course pre boiled. Kala chana are very easily found in most Asian/Indian groceries sold in cans.

It’s ideal to rinse the chana under cold water in a colander to get rid of any extra starch and sodium. I personally feel like the liquid inside is so goopy and best rinsed off.

After cooking the potatoes for a few minutes the Kala chana is added, everything mixed well and cooked for an additional few minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before taking the chana off the heat sprinkle in a good handful of fresh chopped coriander/cilantro and a few fresh green chilies cut through the middle across the length.

It’s really as simple as that and of course it taste really good. A traditional recipe for Kala chana bhuna. Serve hot with muri, piyaju!

How to make Kala Chana Bhuna With Potatoes

Recipe by Shema Course: SidesCuisine: BangladeshiDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

18

minutes

Kala Chana Bhuna

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of oil

• 1 medium sized onion finely sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (adjust according to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste

• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder

• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder

• 1 large potato peeled and diced (1/2 inch pieces)

• 1 can(400 grams) of kala chana, rinsed under cold water and drained

• 3-4 fresh green chilies cut through the middle across the length

• A handful of fresh cilantro/coriander finely chopped

Directions

• In a medium sized pan add in the oil and sliced onions
• Cook on a medium flame until the onions turn light golden in color, 2-3 minutes
• Add in the salt, ginger paste
• Stir and cook on a medium high flame for an additional 1-2 minutes
• Add in the spices one by one, turmeric, chili, coriander and cumin powder
• Cook the spices on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes until some of the oil rises to the surface of the onions
• Add in the diced potatoes (soak the diced potatoes for 5-6 minutes before draining and adding them in)
• Stir well to ensure the potatoes are mixed in well with the masala, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes on a medium low flame
• Uncover and stir again to make sure nothing is sticking to the base of the pan
• Add in the rinsed and drained kala chana, mix everything in well, cover and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Stirring once in between
• Uncover, add in the fresh chilies and cilantro, lightly mix together and take the pan off the heat
• Serve and enjoy with puffed rice (muri) or piyaju!

Notes

• Any leftovers can be stored in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.