It has been years, almost a decade I traveled to Lahore/ Islamabad. The anda chana recipe they use is different from any other city!
Recently my client who is student from Islamabad was in tears when I gave him hot chapatis with his parcel. I was saddened to see him in the state. Food always reminds these kids of home.
I asked him what food he missed the most.
He didn’t take three seconds and said, “I miss going out with family for breakfast. Those anda chana and halwa, uffff.”
The mamta (mamta: motherly emotion) in me stirred at 5.7 Richter Scale and thought why not make the anda chana for all the desi peeps this Sunday.
That would mean I need to soak some chana overnight and boil it to get that perfect mushy chanas.
I already have a great recipe. It only requires me to get up early on the weekend. I thought, its was only a one-time thing, so I got to it.
What you need:
- Oil or Ghee ¼ cup
- Onions 2 medium, chopped
- Tomatoes 1 medium, purred
- Boiled eggs 5-6
- One large potato (to boil and mash)
Soup
- Mutton bones 300 gms
- Bari elachi (black cardamom) 2
- Choti elachi (green cardamom) 2
- Darchini (Cinnamon sticks) 2
- Laung (Cloves) 3
- Sabut kali mirch (Black peppercorns) 3-4
- Salt 1 tsp or to taste
- Ginger garlic 2 tsp
- Water approx. 5 cups
Spices:
- Lal mirch powder (red chili powder) ½ tbs
- Halde powder (turmeric) 1 tsp
- Dhania crushed (coriander) 1 ½ tsp
- Salt (to taste)
- Jaifil powder (nutmeg) ¼ tsp
- Javitri powder (mace) ¼ tsp
- Zeera powder (cumin) 1 tsp
- Tatri (citric acid), a pinch
- Saunf (fennel seeds) powder 1 ½ tsp
- Kashmiri lal mirch (Kashmiri red chili) ½ tsp
- Garam masala powder (all spice) ½ tsp
- Kali mirch powder (black pepper) 1 tsp
- Baking soda ¼ tsp
- Kasuri meetha (dried fenugreek leaves) 1 tsp
- Hara dhaniya (fresh coriander) chopped
How to cook:
- In a big pot boil water. Add mutton bones, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, ginger garlic paste, and salt. Let it boil for a good forty minutes to an hour. When boiled, strain and set the broth aside. Some days when I feel lazy, I just use Knorr chicken cube, and it works great.
- Time for chickpeas action. I soaked them overnight and boiled them with black peppercorn powder and salt.
- Heat the ghee in the pot. I prefer to add ghee to get the authentic flavour. Else you can also use oil.
- Add ginger garlic paste in the pot, with onions, tomatoes and cook until oil separates.
- Now add all spices: turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, nutmeg powder, mace powder, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin powder, and citric acid and cook well.
- Add mashed potatoes and boiled chickpeas to the pot.
- If you made the stock with soup bones, add it to the pot, otherwise add the Knorr chicken cube.
- It’s time to add the remaining spices: Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, and dried fenugreek leaves.
- The maximum cook time left is ten minutes. You can add boiled eggs now and let it simmer on low flame.
- Serve with fresh coriander and garam naan.
Parting Thoughts
In mid-thirties nothing feels more rewarding than hearty food, garam naan, lassi and sooji ka halwa. The things we miss from back home.
You can also recreate some memories from back home by trying these recipes. Rest assured, the young lad who was missing the Sunday family tradition, invited his friends and had a ball on Sunday morning.
I am also sad to report it was not a one-weekend thing. It is becoming quite a routine thing for my desi peeps to order the anda chana for weekends and picnics.
Now that you have braved the dhaba style anda chana, you can try making shinwari chicken karahi too.