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Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry)

Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry)

In my world, no wedding is complete without a divet of your lunch thali being filled with Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry).

gujarati wedding curry vaal chana shaak
A beloved Gujarati wedding dish

This is a curry you’ll never find in your run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. And that’s because this deliciously robust field bean and black chickpea curry is strictly reserved for big, bold Indian weddings.

This Gujarati Vaal and Kala Chana nu Shaak is…

  • Vegan
  • Gluten free
  • Nut free
  • No onions
  • No garlic

My traditional Gujarati Vaal and Kala Chana nu Shaak recipe

So let me share my traditional Gujarati Vaal and Kala Chana nu Shaak recipe, which my grandfather Odhavji Thankey would make for weddings when he was working as a chef and caterer. The quantity in which he would cook it was so huge that measuring by eye was the only feasible option.

delicious healthy curry without onion or garlic
Vaal and Chana is packed full of protein and fibre

It really was unbelievable stuff to be cooking for hundreds upon hundreds of people.

I find the most addictive thing about vaal nu shaak is its incredible hot, sweet and sour flavours.

Curry without garlic, onion and ginger

The most astonishing thing about this big-flavoured curry is that it contains no onions, garlic or ginger which feels somewhat illegal when it comes to the Indian dishes most of us are used to. But actually, this isn’t unusual at all.

Since this dish is made for hundreds of people at massive wedding celebrations, caterers for generations have accounted for multiple dietary requirements, some of which completely cut out these ingredients for their stimulating properties or because of how they’re grown.

Where to buy vaal and kala chana?

Dried vaal beans are also called field beans. You can find them in Indian food shops, or online. This is the brand I like best – Buy my favourite Vaal Beans on Amazon (affiliate link).

Dried black chickpeas or kala chana can be found in most lIndian supermarkets. You can also buy these online. Buy my favourite dried Black Chickpeas on Amazon (affiliate link).

For the farfar (crispy colourful crackers) I serve with my wedding thalis, buy online (affiliate link).

To cook dried vaal and chana

For cooking these dried beans, you must first soak them overnight (separately). The next day, the beans need to be pressure cooked (again, separately) for 30-40 minutes, or until very soft and tender.

See the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

What makes Gujarati dishes unique?

Like many Gujarati dishes, the shaak is often prepared with a simple, yet powerful, spice blend that is balanced with sweet and sour elements.

Recipes can vary from a ‘rasawala’ (with a watery gravy) to a sukha’ (drier) preparation. The use of roasted besan (chickpea or gram flour) is a common technique to thicken the gravy and add a nutty flavour.

add the vaal and chana to the shaak

I love the aromas of roasting gram flour in this dish and it creates the most luscious sauce. In fact. the technique is not too different to roux-based cooking methods for making sauces in Europe.

Gujarati wedding thalis

gujarati wedding shaak vaal chana with puri and rice

Vaal and Kala Chana nu Shaak is an essential component of the traditional ‘thali’, which is a platter of various dishes and courses, all served together as a complete meal.

If you like big plates, this is a serving style you’ll fall in love with!

A typical Gujarati thali is a balanced meal, with a sweet dish (like puran puri or shrikhand), a farsan (savory snack, like dhokla), Gujarati Wedding Dal or Kadhi, and a variety of shaaks (curries) like the vaal and kala chana nu shaak, and sometimes potato and vegetable-based curries.

The bean and lentil curry provides a hearty, protein-rich element that complements the other lighter, spicier, or sweeter dishes.

Lucky dishes in Gujarati culture

Certain dishes are considered ‘shubh’ or auspicious for special occasions. For example, eating mung beans and rice on New Year’s Day is said to ring in good fortune for the coming year.

While Undhiyu is the most famous seasonal wedding dish, a hearty bean or lentil curry is a close second.

Its presence indicates that no detail has been overlooked and that guests are being treated to a truly traditional and balanced feast.

Where savoury and spicy meets sweet and sour

Gujarati cuisine is famous for its unique blend of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours. The vaal and kala chana shaak is a perfect example of this, often prepared with a touch of jaggery and tamarind or lemon juice, which creates a complex and satisfying taste that is characteristic of wedding feasts.

Tamarind is my souring agent of choice, since it also gives the dish a rich deep red colour when paired with the tomatoes in the sauce.

How to serve Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry)

The most common way to serve this curry is with puri, potato curry, shrikhand, rice and this Gujarati wedding dal. Pickles, sambharo, salad, farfar (fried crackers) and a glass of buttermilk (chaas) is totally traditional Gujarati wedding fare.

Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry) recipe | How to make Wedding Curry

Yield: 6 servings

Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry)

how to make gujarati vaal chana nu shaak

Learn how to make Vaal Chana nu Shaak (Gujarati Wedding Curry) the traditional way with this easy recipe. No onions, no garlic and pure veg.

Ingredients

  • 200g dried field beans (vaal/val)
  • 200g dried black chickpeas (kala channa)
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Hot kettle water

For the curry:

  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp carom seeds
  • 3-4 dried Indian bay leaves
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • 1 star anise
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida (omit if gluten free)
  • 3 tbsp gram flour
  • 300g blended tinned tomatoes or passata
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp concentrated tamarind paste
  • 2 tbsp jaggery
  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander

Instructions

    1. Wash the vaal beans in plenty of warm running water, sorting through to check for small stones as you rinse them well. Drain and place in a medium-sized bowl. Repeat for the black chana, keeping these in a separate bowl from the vaal. Add 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to each bowl and top up with plenty of hot kettle water (enough to cover by half). Allow to stand and soak overnight.
    2. The next day, tip the vaal along with the soaking liquid into a pressure cooker. Top up with another litre of hot kettle water and brush the sides of the pan and inside of the lid with oil. Cover and pressure cook for 30 minutes, or until soft (about 9 whistles in a traditional pressure cooker). Once the steam has subsided, carefully open the cooker and drain the beans, discarding the cooking liquid. Set aside. Repeat this process for the chana, cooking for 40 minutes or 12 whistles. Drain and set aside. Don't cook the beans in one pot at the same time, since they both have different cooking times.
    3. Heat oil in a heavy based pan set over a medium-low heat. Add the carom seeds, bay leaves, star anise, dried red chillies and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds before adding the gram flour. Stir very well, cooking the flour out until it becomes a light fudge colour, about a minute.
    4. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder, cinnamon, fennel, salt, tamarind and jaggery. Give it a good mix before adding 700ml hot kettle water.
    5. Add the vaal and channa. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Notes

  • This curry freezes beautifully. To freeze, cool the curry down completely. Pack into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow the curry to thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Place in a saucepan, adding a splash of water and cook over a medium-low heat until piping hot and bubbling.

Did you make this recipe?

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Love Sanjana

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Gujarati Wedding Dal

Gujarati wedding dal thali

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