Dal from Chandigarh

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Chandigarh is a city and Union Territory in northern India, nestled between the borders of the Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh is the capital of both the states.

The word Chandi-garh has derived from the name of the temple, Chandi Mandir.  Chandi is the name of the goddess of powder and garh means fort.

Chandigarh, is one of the earliest planned cities of India. It was designed by the French modernist architect, Le Corbusier.  It is a unique city with modern architecture, natural beauty and cultural richness.  The city has many parks and gardens including a large lake known as Sukhna lake and wetlands which attract migratory birds.

The Rose Garden of Chandigarh is a must-visit place for tourists. The garden is also known as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden which is located in Sector 16 of Chandigarh.

This Rose Garden is the largest rose garden in whole of Asia.  The garden landscapes over 1600 varieties of roses.   There are variety of other plants and trees including some medicinal herbs as well.  The atmosphere of the garden is peaceful and serene.

The roses bloom mostly during February to April.   Every year during February, the Rose festival is held for 3 days for the people to come and enjoy the spectacular blooms of the rose.   

The garden also hosts many cultural events and festivals throughout the year.

Pulse farming in Chandigarh

Chandigarh has a subtropical climate with hot summers and cool winters, which is suitable for growing pulses.  However, Chandigarh is a city and urban areas do not have large areas for farming.

Food

Chandigarh food habits reflect its cultural diversity, love for tradition cuisine and openness to new culinary experiences.  Punjab being so close has a strong influence of Punjabi food. 

Although there are various dining options, the people prefer traditional and healthy home-cook food with families.

Let us cook chole today, from a very old recipe.  Chole-Bhatura a complete meal which includes 2 items in it. Chole is a dish cooked with chickpea (gram) and Bhatura is the deep-fried bread(wheat) to eat with it.

Chole-Bhatura is must-try when visiting Chandigarh.

A traditional Chole recipe

The chole is cooked to perfection, retaining a soft yet firm texture of the chickpea (Kabuli chana), blending beautifully with the spices and the tamarind giving a spicy and tangy flavor. Sprinkling of coriander leaves (cilantro) has added a richness and freshness to the dish. 

You need:

125 gm chickpea (Kabuli chana)

1 medium size potato

1 medium size onion

3 green chilis

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 tbsp refined oil

Salt to taste

A few sprigs of coriander leaves

Method:

  1. Wash and soak the chickpeas (Kabuli chana) overnight.

2. Peel and wash the onion and potato. 

3. Chop them finely as in the picture. 

4. Wash and remove the stems of the green chilies and keep them aside.

5. Wash and finely chop the coriander leaves.

6. Wash and finely chop a green chili.  Keep aside.

7. Wash the chickpeas once more and place them in the pressure cooker along with the potatoes and 2 chilies.  Add ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder. 

8. Add 2 cups of water, close the lid and place the cooker over heat.

9. After the first whistle, lower the heat to its minimum and cook for 2-3 minutes. 

10. Switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool down by itself.

11. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of refined oil and add the chopped onion.

12. Add the chopped green chili and saute for few seconds. 

13. Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and fry till you get the aroma of the cumin seeds.

14. Add 1 tsp of garam masala and stir. 

15. Add 1 tbsp of the tamarind pulp and mix them well. 

16. Add the cooked chick peas and mix well.

17. Add about 1 cup of warm water and cook for about 4-5 minutes. 

18. Add little warm water to keep to your required consistency. 

18. Add the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. 

The dish will definitely pair beautifully with the crispy Bhatura, and with steamed basmati rice as well. 

Happy Cooking!

Coming up next ………………Dal from Delhi

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