Chanya Ros / Goan Dried Yellow Peas Curry

I had prepared chanya ros as part of my Goan vegetarian thaali a few months ago. Goans prepare vegetarian food sans onion and garlic during festivals and on certain days, specially Mondays and this chanya ros appears usually on the menu. Chanya ros is a flavorful curry with a spicy coconut base. This is similar to another Goan specialty dish tonak which is prepared with black eyed peas /  dried peas and so on. Tonak however contains onion and garlic and is served at breakfast. The quantity of dried peas used in a chanya ros recipe is lesser compared to tonak. 

Recipe source: Here

Ingredients for paste:

1 tsp. oil

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. fennel seeds

2 - 3 cloves

2 - 3 peppercorns

2 - 3 dried red chilies

1 cup fresh shredded coconut (I used frozen coconut.)

1/2 tsp. sized tamarind ball

Ingredients for curry:

1/2 cup dried yellow peas

Salt to taste

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. ghee / oil

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

2 or 3 green chilies, slit

Few curry leaves

Minced cilantro to garnish

Prep work:

Soak dried peas overnight. 

1. Paste preparation

* Heat a tsp. of oil in a skillet and add coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, pepper corns and red chilies. Sauté for a minute and add the shredded coconut. Sauté until the coconut starts to brown. Let it cool a bit.

* Grind the sautéed ingredients along with tamarind, adding water as needed. 

2. Curry preparation:

* Drain the water used to soak peas. Pressure cook them for 2 or 3 whistles adding turmeric.

* Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds and add asafoetida.

* Next add the cooked peas, the ground paste, salt and water as needed to form a semi gravy. Let the mixture come to a boil and reduce to low heat setting and cook for a couple of minutes more.

* Garnish with cilantro and turn off the stove.

* Serve it warm with rice.

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A - Z Indian Street Foods ~ G for Ghugni Chaat

Bengal's ghugni aka ghugni chaat is a street food  popular both in eastern and northern parts of India. It can easily be classified under healthy and filling food category even though it is a street food. This chaat is full of flavors where dried peas are cooked in a base of aromatic spices, sweet onions and tangy tomatoes. This protein rich dish can be served as a chaat on it's own or even as a side dish for rotis / pooris.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried yellow peas

2 red onions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 small potatoes - peeled, cubed and cooked

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. ginger paste

1 tsp. garlic paste (I didn’t use any.)

1/2 tbsp. or more bhaja masala 

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Ingredients to garnish:

Minced cilantro 

1 red onion, finely chopped

Sweet tamarind chutney

Bhaja masala (Recipe below)

Method:

* Soak dried peas for at least 6 hours or overnight. Pressure cook adding 2 cups of water for 2 whistles. Save the water used to cook peas.

* Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for few seconds. Add  chopped onion for garnishing and cook until translucent. Next add tomatoes and cook until the oil starts to ooze out. 

* Add cooked potato cubes and peas, turmeric powder, cumin powder, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and add about ¾ cup water (or saved water from cooking peas.)

* Cook on medium heat until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. (It should be thinner than my version in the pictures. I didn’t pour more liquid in the serving cups for picturing sake.)

* Garnish with bhaja masala, cilantro, chopped onion and tamarind chutney. Serve immediately.

Bhaja masala preparation:

Ingredients:

1 or 1.5 tsp. cumin seeds

2 red chillies (Use 1 chillie if less spice is preferred.) or 1/2 tsp. red chili powder 

Method:

* Dry toast the cumin seeds on low flame until they start to brown. Toast the red chillies if using. Cool and grind them together fine.

* If using chili powder, toast cumin seeds only. Grind cumin and mix chili powder to it. This is bhaja masala. 

So far, on this series,
A for Aloo Kabli
B for Bajra Vada
C for Chooda Matar
D for Dahi Batata Puri
E for Elaichi - Kesar Lassi
F for Fulwadi

 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87

An InLinkz Link-up

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