Kangri khatta
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A sweet-and-sour dish of chickpeas or pumpkin with tamarind or dried mango and jaggery, served towards the end of the Kangra dham.
Region: Kangra, Himachal PradeshOccasion: Dham feasts at weddings and festivalsTime: 45 min + overnight soakingServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup black chickpeas (kala chana), soaked overnight, or 500 g pumpkin in cubes
- Lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup hot water (or 2 tbsp dried mango powder, amchur)
- 3 tbsp grated jaggery
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
Method
- Boil the chickpeas until soft. If using pumpkin, skip this step.
- Squeeze the tamarind and strain the pulp.
- Heat mustard oil and add fenugreek, fennel and cumin seeds.
- Add the chickpeas or pumpkin and stir for 5 minutes. Add chilli powder and salt.
- Pour in the tamarind water and jaggery with a cup of water and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the gravy is glossy and sweet-sour.
- Serve with rice.
History
Khatta (‘sour’) is a standard course of the Kangri dham and balances the rich dals and yoghurt dishes served before it.
Significance
The sour taste is thought to help digestion after a heavy meal, and it is one of the set courses of the Kangri dham.