Tasty Fried Channa Recipe
Fried channa is a flavorful fried snack made with fried chickpeas (channa), fresh Caribbean green seasoning, salt and pepper.
It is great alongside snacks like spicy peanuts, fried split peas, and more.
Here’s how to make fried channa.
Fried channa ingredients
For this recipe, I used:
- dry channa (chickpeas)
- chadon beni (culantro)
- garlic
- salt
- pepper
- oil for frying
- water for soaking
Optional ingredients can include:
- geera (cumin) powder
- masala powder
I prefer using dry chickpeas, but you can use canned chickpeas if you like. However, you should rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly and dry properly before adding to your hot oil.
For canned goods, many manufacturers use an epoxy to coat the inside of the cans. For years, that epoxy contained harmful compounds like bisphenol-A (BPA). Today, BPA-free epoxy is used but it hasn’t been properly tested for potential harmful effects.
That’s why when given the choice between canned and dried goods, I always choose the dried ones.
How to make fried channa
To make fried channa, soak the dried chickpeas overnight, drain the next day, dry with paper towels and deep fry for about 20 minutes on low heat until golden brown and crispy. While hot, mix in salt, pepper and fresh Caribbean seasonings.
Here’s some more details on making fried channa.
Soak the channa
Like with all other channa recipes, the dried chickpeas must be soaked to rehydrate the peas.
Step 1: So, check the dried channa and remove any bad peas. Add water and rinse thoroughly a few times to get rid of any dust and dirt.
Step 2: Add the channa to a large bowl with water. For one cup of channa, I used about five cups of water. Cover the bowl and leave it overnight to soak (or at least six hours).
Step 3: After the soaking time is over, drain the channa and wash several times. If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and wash the channa.
Step 4: Place the washed channa on paper towels. Dry the peas properly. You can even leave it on the countertop for an hour to dry off completely. Deep frying wet chickpeas can cause the peas to pop and the oil to sputter. So, the drying process is important.
Fry
Step 5: While the channa is drying, place a large pot on low heat. Add enough oil to deep fry all of the peas since you won’t be frying them in batches. I used about three cups of oil here.
Step 6: Allow the oil to heat up before carefully adding in all the chickpeas. Stir occasionally and fry until golden brown, crispy and cooked all the way through on the inside. This set took about 20 minutes to fry on low heat.
Step 7: When the channa is done, remove from the heat and place on paper towels to soak up some of the oil.
Mix in seasonings
Step 8: While the fried channa is still hot, mix in the salt, pepper and ground garlic and chadon beni leaves. Taste test and adjust the flavors.
Step 9: Fried channa does not need a lot of seasonings. A teaspoon of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of ground seasoning (garlic and chadon beni leaves) were enough here.
Serve hot or cold as a snack.
More recipes
Fried channa recipe
Fried channa recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry channa (chickpeas)
- 5 chadon beni (culantro) leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- oil for frying
- water for soaking
Instructions
Preparing Channa
- Check the dry channa. Remove any bad peas.
- Rinse the channa.
- Place in a large bowl and add water (about 5 cups).
- Cover and leave overnight to soak (or for at least 6 hours).
- Drain the channa. Wash several times.
- Place washed channa on paper towels to dry.
- Pat dry the channa or leave for an hour to completely dry off.
Frying
- Place a large pot on low heat.
- Add enough oil for deep frying (about 2 – 3 cups).
- Allow to heat up.
- Once hot, carefully add the dried rehydrated channa.
- Stir occasionally.
- Fry until golden brown, crispy and cooked all the way through (can take about 20 minutes).
- Remove from oil once cooked.
- Grind garlic, chadon beni and pepper together.
- Add to hot fried channa.
- Sprinkle salt on the hot channa.
- Mix together.
- Taste test and adjust flavors to your preference.
- Serve warm or cold.
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Thank you for the recipe. I personally find that the Channa is quite inconsistent when finished; some a bit hard and most others perfectly crispy.I fry them at 250F for 20 mins.