Kala Chana Shorba, Black Chickpeas Soup

Changing weather brings along one of the most irritating of ailments-common cold. I recently fell a victim to the disease with a sore throat, sinus problems, coughing and sneezing fits which make doing any of the usual things more of a chore.

Besides honey and lemon tea, black chickpeas or Kala Chana Shorba is one of the most recommended cold buster food in our family, which I regarded as a mere old wives’ tale for a very long time.

Since last year, on my mother’s insistence, I have started making this Shorba whenever someone begins to show signs of cold in our house.

Black chick peas are richer in fat free high quality protein and complex carbohydrates than white chickpeas. Therefore, they help build antibodies to fight the virus and at the same time provide long lasting energy to the body.

This Shorba also contains, garlic, ginger, black pepper and turmeric, all ingredients acknowledged in Ayurvedic medicine as antibacterial, antiviral, anti histamine and anti-inflammatory. A squeeze of lemon on top and you have viamin C included in the recipe.

Not only it tastes great but I actually feel relief from clogged sinuses and dry cough. So I decided to share this recipe with you so that maybe a sniffling nose somewhere out there also finds solace in this recipe.

I break my roti into bite size pieces and dunk it in the Shorba which makes it easier to swallow.

Shorba has many connotations in different culinary cultures, from soup to broth to stew. In South Asia usually a curry is called Shorba but the one I’ve made with chickpeas is more of a thin soup.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup black chickpeas
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

This Is What You Do :

Heat oil in a deep pan, add onion and stir fry till golden.

Add fried onions, ginger, garlic, yogurt and tomatoes to a food processor and process till there is a smooth paste.

Pour the paste back into the pan, add black pepper, salt and turmeric, stir on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add black chickpeas and plenty of water ( half of the pan). Reduce heat to medium low, cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours, adding more water if required.

Black chickpeas are tougher than the white ones and take longer to cook. Soaking chickpeas in water a night before cuts down the cooking time by almost 30 minutes. Using a pressure cooker can cut the cooking time by half.

When the chickpeas are tender, ladle out the soup in bowls and garnish with chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilli peppers, coriander/parsley and julienned ginger. Squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy with your favourite bread.

Serves 4