
Lahori Chanay (Tea-Simmered Chickpea Curry for Breakfast)
A thick, deeply coloured chickpea curry in the style of Lahore's breakfast stalls, simmered with black tea and finished with ginger and lemon. Scoop it up with puri, kulcha or hot naan.
Ingredients
Equipment: Pressure cooker (or large heavy pot), wide saucepan or karahi, wooden spoon
Method
Put the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker with the water, tea bag, baking soda and 1 tsp of the salt. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes after the first whistle, then let the pressure release naturally. The chickpeas should crush easily between two fingers. If they are still firm, cook for 10 minutes more.
Remove the tea bag and squeeze it lightly into the pot. Keep the chickpeas and their dark cooking liquid; you should have about 500 ml of liquid. Drain off any extra and save it.
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the black cardamom, bay leaf and cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
Add the chopped onions and fry, stirring often, until deep golden brown at the edges.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute until the raw smell is gone.
Add the tomato puree, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and the remaining salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring, until the oil separates and the masala turns thick and dark.
Tip in the chickpeas with their liquid and add the slit green chillies. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered.
Mash a few spoonfuls of chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy. Cook until it coats the back of a spoon; add a splash of the saved liquid if it gets too thick.
Stir in the anardana powder and garam masala, then turn off the heat. Top with ginger matchsticks and fresh coriander, and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Cooking tips
- Soak the chickpeas overnight; the baking soda and tea in the boiling water give a soft texture and the classic dark brown colour.
- Take your time browning the onions. They give the gravy body and a rounded sweetness without any extra thickener.
- Mashing a few chickpeas into the gravy makes it creamy without adding flour or cream.
- Add salt and lemon at the end to taste, as the liquid reduces and the flavour concentrates.
Substitutions
- No pressure cooker: boil the soaked chickpeas in a covered heavy pot for 1½–2 hours until soft, topping up with hot water as needed.
- No anardana powder: use 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or a squeeze of extra lemon juice.
- Canned chickpeas: use 2 drained 400 g cans and 500 ml water with a strong cup of tea in place of the tea bag; simmer 20 minutes.
- Ghee can replace half of the oil for a richer flavour, though the dish will no longer be vegan.
Serve with
"Serve with hot puri, kulcha or naan, with sliced raw onion, green chillies and lemon wedges on the side. A small bowl of suji halwa alongside makes a full Lahori-style breakfast, and a glass of lassi or cup of doodh patti chai goes well with it."
Storage
Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring often, until piping hot throughout. The curry thickens as it sits, so loosen it as needed.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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