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Channa and Aloo

 

Chickpea (or channa as it is named in Trinidad) is a rich source of proteins and fibers and a staple of the Trinidadian cooking. Antoine knew of chickpea before first arriving in the twin Islands through Couscous, a North African dish inside which his mother used to hide chickpeas for extra proteins. In Trinidad, he discovered that chickpeas could be boiled, fried, curried, baked to achieve a countless number of dishes.

 

Channa and Aloo is a Trinidad inspired creation where chickpeas are curried, cooked with potatoes (or aloo as also known in Trinidad) and fused into a rich and spicy dish. Lean Lifestyle is sharing Cavita's Mom's recipe with you all now. Follow the guide!

 

 

The ingredients are given for 4 medium servings.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

  • 1 tin of chickpeas

  • 1 medium potato

  • 1 cup of white onions

  • 3 cloves of garlic

  • 1 knob of ginger

  • 1 chili pepper

  • 1 tbsp of cilantro, chopped

  • 1 tsp of turmeric, powder

  • 2 tbsp of roasted ground cumin (geera)

  • 2 tbsp of Madras curry

  • 3 tbsp of dried coconut milk

  • 1 Maggi vegetable cube

  • Salt and black pepper

  • Coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

 

  • Finely chop the white onions, grate the garlic cloves and the ginger and set each aside.

  • Finely chop the cilantro and your chili pepper. Remember the membrane and seeds bring heat so remove those for a milder impact if you wish.

  • In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of Madras curry, 1 tablespoon of powder turmeric and 2 tablespoons of ground roasted cumin with 2-3 tablespoons of water (enough to make a thick paste).

  • Open 1 tin of chickpeas, drain and rinse under cold water.

  • Peel, wash and chop 1 potato into small cubes and set aside.

  • In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.

  • Sauté the finely chopped onions until translucent, then add the grated garlic, ginger and chili pepper. Stir together until fragrant and add the curry paste you prepared in the above steps. Cook for about a minute on medium heat. If it’s drying up add another 2-3 tablespoons of water.

  • Add the small cubes of potato and 3 tablespoons of dried coconut milk then stir together with 1 cup of water (water should be covering the potatoes completely).

  • Cook for 8-10 minutes then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and stir together.

  • Cook for another 8 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the liquid dries down to a thick sauce.

  • Add salt and black pepper to taste and serve as a side dish or a main dish with brown rice.

 

potato, chickpeas, white onion, garlic, ginger, chili, cilantro
Vegan, chickpeas, potatoes, trinidadian, channa, aloo
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