Black chickpeas?

[Jenise]

They exist. They're mentioned in an Indian cookbook I have. Never have seen such a thing, can anyone help? Are they really black, or just dark(er)? Anyone ever see them in the U.S.?

They're much darker than regular chick peas - very dark brown, not exactly black. They also tend to be a little firmer - and I've seen then at most of the specialty Indian grocery stores.

[Jenise]

Are they a bit smaller? I used to buy some canned chicked peas in Holland that were darker and smaller, I've just remembered. Finer-grained too, I loved them, would saute them briefly in a cumin-laced vinaigrette then spoon that over a salad of raw escarole.

Are they a bit smaller? I used to buy some canned chicked peas in Holland that were darker and smaller, I've just remembered. Finer-grained too, I loved them, would saute them briefly in a cumin-laced vinaigrette then spoon that over a salad of raw escarole.

The black chickpeas I've seen have been a tad smaller than the tan version. I've found them dried before in Indian groceries.

Mark Lipton

Here's where you can get a 13 oz bag for five bucks: http://store.ethnicfoodsco.com/Grocery/ProdDesc.CFM?itemid=AJDL42&Description=Kala%20Channa%20Beans-%20Small%20Black%20Chickpea%20Chana-%20earthy%20and%20nutty%20flavor&countryid=&countryname=&countryorderid=

There is a South Indian dish (from Kerala) which is made with black chick peas, copra (dried coconut) and chilies which is to die for..

In Indian groceries you're likely to find them labeled kala chana.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Thanks, Paul, but we don't have any Indian grocers around here. Oh wait--BC's largest Indian population is just over the border from me, Surrey, I should be able to find them there, plus I need mustard oil and a few other Indian things. Was ready to order both the peas and oil from the site Carl reccomended but there are some spice things I'd like (mango powder, for instance) that they didn't offer. 20 minutes north of me all this should be easily available. Okay, I'll wait.

Shaji, your description immediately sent me to my books for such a recipe, but there isn't one. The combination sounds delicious. The new book I just bought that put the black chickpea thought in my head (had an online bookstore credit back when Salil and I were discussing Indian-fusions, and that made me think of checking to see if Vancouver's highly successful Vij restaurant had a cookbook out, which they do) has four recipes which all sound delightful, especially one whose other principal components are eggplant and only semi-ripe papaya. I sometimes grab a book to cook my way through, and this is my next victim. I cook very little Indian food, though I love it.

Jenise,
"Curried Chickpeas (Kadala Karri)" can be found in "The Kerala Kitchen - Recipes & Recollections from the Syrian Christians of South India".

Jenise, kala chana might be harder to find than I thought. I was shopping at my usual Indian grocery in Nashua, NH yesterday, and I checked out the dal aisle. No kala chana. They had conventional chickpeas and also green chickpeas, though.

-Paul W.

Googling "kadala curry recipe" turned up a bunch of yummy variations on the theme.

-Paul W.