Similar in texture and flavor to channa, (chickpea) It is served when you buy a double in Trinidad and Tobago, but this version is a bit more watery and is usually treated as a thick soup. Serve in bowls or cups and top with chutney and pepper sauce for a hearty pre-dinner meal.
What you need…
1 1/2 cups channa (dried chickpeas)
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
8 cloves garlic (split)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon anchur masala
Caribbean green seasoning 3/4 tablespoon
3/4 teaspoon roasted gheera (cumin)
1 habanero pepper (thinly sliced)
1 pimento pepper ((Thinly sliced)
3-4 tablespoons of Chadon beni minced (Clantro)
Note! You will need to adjust the liquid when simmering. The recipe is explained in detail in the video below, so we recommend watching it as well. If you want to make this gluten-free, check the full list of ingredients to make sure it meets your gluten-free dietary requirements.
wash and soak chickpeas (channa) Place in a deep bowl covered with at least 2 inches of water and leave overnight. If you want to add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the bowl, it will help the channa cook faster later. I didn’t.
Baking soda is very helpful. Raise the pH of the water to break down pectin and soften beans faster..
Drain the water and place the plump channa in a deep pot and add 1/2 clove of garlic. (broken)salt, turmeric, Caribbean green seasoning, anchar masala, and black pepper. Add the water and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and reduce the temperature to between simmering and simmering.
As explained in the video, I wanted to keep this completely vegan so I used vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock if you prefer. We also discussed using all water, which is the traditional way of making dishes like this soup.
Adjust liquid to boil (Add water or stock as needed) and cook till channa (chickpea) It starts to crumble. Yes, you can significantly reduce cooking time with a pressure cooker.
After 2 hours it was soft to my liking. I wanted it to be a little thicker, so I took out 3/4 cup and pureed it briefly in a blender. You can also use a potato masher to quickly crush some in the pot itself if you like. Once the pureed liquid is returned to the pot, it’s time to add the finishing flavor elements.
add remaining garlic (broken)bell pepper, ground jeera (cumin) And Chadon Beni. Is it better not to have Chadon Beni? (Clantro)you may use coriander (coriander). Adding habanero pepper makes it spicy, so you can also eat it with homemade pepper sauce without it.
Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then taste and adjust the saltiness to your liking. Once you are satisfied with the consistency (It should be like a thick soup)turn off the heat and enjoy. Please note that it will thicken further as it cools.
