Kala chana masala ashtami prasad recipe: Kala chana or Ashtami Prasad is a simple recipe of Black peas/Kala chana made dry ,pan roasted along with spices .Its made on the eighth day of Navratri fasting .Ashtami/Navmi pooja as popularly know in most parts of the country is marked by the closure of 9 days of Navratri fasting. Eighth Day of Navratri is celebrated as Ashtami and the ninth day called the navmi.
On this day we prepare Kala chana ,poori and sooji halwa to perform Kanjak /Kanjake.Prayers are offered to Godess durga and as a ritual little teenage girls under the age of 9 seen as an embodiment of Godess Durga are worshiped .Its called Kanjak pujan or kanya poojan.
Kala chana/Black chickpeas – Sooji Halwa/Semolina pudding – Poori are prepared paired with a gift some money and offered to the little Goddesses which visit the house to accept our prayers, bless us and complete the auspicious puja.
People welcome the little girls in their house and traditionally first wash their feet and touch them to seek their blessings. We then make then sit in a row and then perform the following before serving them with Ashtami Prasad or Durga Bhog.
The Ashtami Prasad is a simple preparation of pooris made with whole wheat flour, sookha chana/dry black peas i.e soaked and boiled Kala chana tempered with spices and as a dessert Sooji ka Halwa/ Semolina pudding.The other recipes prepared for Ashtami Puja Prasad are:
Kala Chana- Ashtami Prasad
Ingredients
- 2 cup Kala chana / Black chickpeas soaked overnight in triple the water.
- 11/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tso red chilli powder /degi mirch
- 1/2 tsp amchoor powder
- 2 tbsp coriander powder/ Dhania Powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 black cardamom
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter/oil
- 1 tsp cumin seed jeera
Instructions
- Soak the chana/ black chickpeas overnight in triple the water. We will discard some water before cooking.
- In the morning, In the pressure cooker put the chana and half the water . The water level should be little more/ above the chana level in the cooker.
- Add salt,turmeric powder, black cardamom and cinnamon stick in the cooker. Close the lid and pressure cook for 10-15 minutes. Give one whistle on high flame .Then simmer and two whistles on simmer. It should be soft and chewable by then.
- There are some brands whose chana are quick to cook. Please check that before cooking. They may need lesser time.
- Once done, close the flame and wait for the steam to release completely.
- No in another pan, Heat ghee and add cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Now ina small bowl put dhania powder , red chilli and amchoor and add water to mix these three and add to the hot ghee in the pan. Water prevents the spices from burning.
- Now add the boiled chana/peas. Mix well. In a small bowl take 2-3 tbsp of this boiled chana and crush them nicely. Then add this again to the rest of the kala chana in the pan and mix well
- Crushed chana gets mixed and covers all the chana in the pan and blends with the spices to give a nice roasted feel. Cook these well on medium high flame till the water has dried completely.
- Pour on to a serving dish before you put them on your poori with the halwa before plating it for the Kanjaks.