Mangalorean Chana Gassi / Ghassi - South Indian Chickpeas Curry

Gassi (also spelt as Ghassi or Gashi) is a popular curry from Mangalore, made using fresh ground spices and coconut. The most popular one is Kori Gassi, which is a chicken curry. While the spice paste for the curry remains the same, you can make vegetarian versions of the gassi using chickpeas (chana), or black chickpeas (kala chana), mushrooms or breadfruit chunks as the chicken substitute. The gassi is typically served with a roti that is thin, crispy, made using rice flour. The roti is crushed and added to the bowl of curry to soak up all the liquids, and it makes a much satisfying lunch.

You can also eat it with Neer Dosa or regular dosas or even rice. It is a super quick chickpeas curry that doesn't involve chopping and sauteeting onions, tomatoes for the bhuna masala.

Recipe for Mangalorean Chana Gassi (Mangalorean Chickpeas Curry)

A curry from South India

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry chickpeas, washed and soaked overnight in water

For Masala paste: 

3-4 dried red chillies 

2 tsp coriander seeds

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup coconut scrapings (unsweetened)

2 flakes of tamarind or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 tsp salt

Tempering: 1 tbsp coconut oil, few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of fenugreek seeds, pinch of asafoetida

Cooking the chickpeas

Drain the chickpeas that have soaked in water for 8-10 hours. Place in a small pressure cooker, cover with fresh water, until they are just submerged. Keep on a high flame, with the whistle (pressure) on. After one whistle, keep on sim (lowest flame) for 12 minutes so. Switch off and allow to cool.

Making the masala / spice paste

In a small kadai/wok, dry roast the red chillies until crisp, about 1-2 minutes, along with the coriander seeds. In a mixer, grind to a fine paste - the red chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, coconut, tamarind, using up to 1/2 cup of water. 

Making the curry

Once the cooker has cooled, you will be able to open it. Ensure that  the chickpeas are very soft - on pressing with the thumb they should completely disintegrate. Drain the cooked chickpeas and place them in the kadai along with the freshly ground spice paste. Add 3/4 tsp salt or to taste and turmeric powder. Bring to a simmer, adding a few spoons of water if required to thin it to a curry consistency.

Tempering

In a tadka ladle or a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil (or you can use any other cooking oil). Splutter the mustard seeds, add the curry leaves, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and transfer it over the curry.

Serve hot along with rice rotti, rice or dosas. 

This post is part of the project called 'theKitchenDivas' which will have a theme going for each month, wherein we will try to do a post a week. The theme for January 2015 is Karnataka Cuisine.

You can find more Traditional Recipes from Karnataka by #TheKichenDivas

Jowar Roti with Chicken Saaru by Sinamon Tales

Ragi Ambli by WhiskAffair

Rava Idli by FunFoodFrolic

Thouthe Kodel (Mangalore Cucumber Curry) by Archana's Kitchen