Goan Patal bhaji or chana bhaji (white peas gravy)

July 18, 2020

Goan Patal bhaji or chana bhaji (white peas gravy)

Patal bhaji is a white peas curry cooked in a spicy coconut gravy. It is one of the dishes available for breakfast at every restaurant in Goa. You can make this recipe using mung as well. Here I have given three different methods of the same recipe. If you are bored of eating just one recipe, you could try the other options. Type 1 with a few basic spices, type 2 with an addition of more spices to the basic recipe that is type 1. Type 3 for a Malvani flavour you can add lichens (dagadphool) and tefla (sichuan peppers) in addition to the type 1 + type 2 ingredients. Lichens gives an umami flavour to the recipe.

Basic Ingredients:

White Peas : 1 cup

Potato : 1

Fresh coriander : handful (not for type1)

Salt : to taste

Sweetener : to taste

Masala:

Type 1 : basic

Spicy dry red chili (small) : 4

Clove : 5

Pepper : 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds : 1 tsp

Fennel seeds : 1 tsp

Oil : 1 tblsp

Onion : 1

Coconut : 1 cup

Turmeric : 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp : marble size ball

Type 2 : add

Cinnamon : 1 & 1/2 inch piece

Cardamom : 1

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds : 1 pinch

Garlic (Indian) : 3 cloves

Type 3 : Malvani style - add

Kashmiri red chili : 1

Lichens : 1/2 cm piece

Tefla (deseeded) : 1 or 2 pieces

Procedure:

Wash the peas well and soak them overnight.

Dry roast the whole spices starting with red chili, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and pepper. After they start releasing their aroma and changes it's colour add the smaller ingredients - coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds, roast them for a minute and finally add fenugreek seeds and give it a quick stir. Transfer these spices to a bowl and keep aside. (Here you can skip or add the spices according to the type of recipe you are following for the first one keep only basic spices, for the second one use basic + type 2 and for malvani, basic + type 2 + type 3)

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, sliced onion and sauté till light brown, to this add the roasted spices and mix well, then add grated coconut and roast for 4 - 5 mins. (For type 1 recipe you could roast the coconut a little longer for abour 10 minutes.)

Add some turmeric powder and mix well.

Then grind the roasted coconut and spices along with tamarind to make a paste.

Cut the potatoes into cubes, wash the soaked peas and pressure cook them along with the potatoes. The peas should open up and become mushy otherwise it will not give the desired taste.