What is hara chana, green chick peas?

First wash the green chickpeas thoroughly in water until water runs clear. Then soak it in water overnight. Next day drain it. To cook it, place the hara chana in a vessel and cover completely with water. Add salt to taste, cover with a lid and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles. Once cooked, remove from the pressure cooker and drain the excess water. Boiled hara chana can be enjoyed just like that, hot or warm or cold. It can also be tossed in butter with minimal spices, or used in chaats and sabzis.

First wash the green chickpeas thoroughly in water until water runs clear. Then soak it in water overnight. Next day drain it. Soaked hara chana can be cooked and used to make delightful dishes like Green Chana Masala or just steamed and tossed in butter to be relished as a snack.

First wash the green chickpeas thoroughly in water until water runs clear. Then soak it in water overnight. Next day drain it. Spread the soaked and drained chickpeas on a colander or a sieve and cover with a moist muslin/cotton cloth. Alternatively use only wet muslin cloth and bundle it up. Let the chickpeas sprout over a period of 10 to 12 hours. If you have used a muslin cloth and if the cloth seems dry, sprinkle some water over it. Moderate warmth, water and air are very essential for proper sprouting. Do not keep the soaked seeds closeted. Ideally, room temperature is best for growing sprouts. When the sprouts have grown to the desired length, open the muslin cloth, rinse them again, drain well and then put them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

• Boiled or sprouted hara chana can be made into exciting salads and chaats, combined with other veggies and fruits.
• It can also be used in a variety of curries and vegetable preparations.
• It can even be used to make recipes like cheela and sabzis.

Indian salads using hara chana

paneer aur hara chane ka salad recipe | healthy paneer chana salad | protein rich chana salad | calcium rich paneer salad recipe | Fiber from hara chana will keep you full and aid in weight loss. If you want a completely low fat salad, then replace the full-fat paneer with its low fat version available in the market.

Indian  chaats using hara chana

hara bhara chaat | hara chana chaat | green chickpea chaat | healthy fresh green chana chaat | Hara chana also known as choliya, harbhara are available in Indian winter only. Make sure you get the shelled fresh hara chana from the market or you will easily spend an hour to remove the shell for obtaining the fresh chana. Also, you can toss in myriad of colorful vegetables to make it more filling.

How to store hara chana, green chick peas

• Store the hara chana in a clean, dry and air-tight container.
• Some people add four to five mercury pills per kilogram of the chana to improve its shelf life. In such a case, it may last for even six months. But remember to remove the mercury pills before cooking. They are harmful.

Health benefits of hara chana, green chick peas

Hara chana is a good source of protein as well as carbohydrates. Green chickpeas are also rich in B-vitamins, which help your body use carbohydrates, protein and fat from food. Even more impressive, half a cup of green chickpeas provides one-third of the magnesium and phosphorus needs and about one-fifth of the iron needs daily, supporting your bone, blood cells, muscles and nerve function. Like other beans, hara chana is rich in dietary fibre. The fibre in the chana helps stabilise blood sugar levels and give you a feeling of satiety. Thus it is suitable for weight loss, diabetes and heart disease.