Channa kulambu prepared using small black chickpeas was one of the few curries I liked to relish during my childhood days. In those days my mother never used large white chickpeas, perhaps it was available only in specific places. Nowadays I switch to large white chickpeas for their soft, melt-in-mouth texture and prepare even more delicious channa kulambu. I like to prepare chettinad style aromatic channa kulambu using white chickpeas, drumstick pods & eggplants (brinjal) to savour the beautiful aroma of drumsticks & the delicious flavor of channa.

Earlier we were served tangy konda kadalai kulambu along with rice, mashed spinach (kadaintha arai keerai), yogurt based mixed vegetables curry (avial) and scrambled potato (urulai kizhangu puttu) for lunch. But I like to serve channa kulambu to my family with creamy avial made using red chillies, scrambled sweet potato (sakkaravalli kizhangu podimas) and crispy tapioca appalam as shown below.

Chettinad style channa kulambu goes very well with any millet or traditional rice variety particularly with red rice (mappillai samba arisi).

Channa Kulambu recipe:

Ingredients:
Main ingredients: | |
Cooked white chickpeas (Kabuli channa) | 1/2 cup |
Drumstick | 1 |
Brinjal (eggplants) | 2 |
Tamarind | a small lemon sized ball |
Salt | 1 tsp |

For kulambu masala: | |
Sesame oil (for roasting the spices) | 1 tsp |
Red chillies | 4 |
Coriander seeds (dhania) | 1 tablespoon |
Pepper | 1/2 tsp |
Poppy seeds (khus khus) | 1/2 tsp |
Fennel seeds (sombu) | 1/4 tsp |
Cinnamon (pattai) | 1/2″ |
Cardamom (yelam) | 1 |
Ginger (inji) | 1″ |
Garlic (poondu) | 6 pods |

For tempering: | |
Sesame oil (nallennai) | 1 tsp |
Cumin seeds | 1/2 tsp |
Bay leaf | 1 |
Curry leaves | a few |
Asafoetida (hing) powder | 1/8 tsp (a pinch) |

Kulambu Masala:
- Heat a pan with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in medium flame.
- Roast all the ingredients for masala except ginger & garlic.
- Remove them from pan when the aroma is released.
- Add 1/2 tsp of oil into the pan and saute ginger & garlic until done.
- Grind them into a smooth paste after adding little water as shown below.

Channa Kulambu:
- Microwave tamarind after adding 100 ml of water for 1 min. (or soak in hot water for 15 min.)
- Make tamarind juice using about 700 ml of water and keep aside.
- Heat a pan with oil in medium flame.
- Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, curry leaves into the pan and fry for few seconds.
- Add asafoetida powder followed by chopped drumsticks & brinjal.
- Saute for few minutes until the flavor from drumsticks is released.
- Add tamarind extract and kulambu masala into the pan.
- Bring it to a boil at high flame.
- Reduce the flame to medium until the vegetables are cooked.
- Add cooked channa while vegetables are half cooked.
- Add salt when the vegetables become soft & tender.
- Now reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with its lid allowing kulambu enriched with flavors of spices & drumsticks.
- Remove from heat when it reaches the required consistency.
- Serve hot with rice, soft idli, or spongy dosa.

Tips & Tweaks:
Here I used wrinkled Byadagi chillies for the bright red color & intense aroma, but you may use other chillies according to the desired heat & color, Salem gundu milagai are famous for blistering heat, whereas Guntur long chillies are for both the color & heat.

Diese kleine Schüssel mit der frischen und gesunden Suppe Channa Kolumbo sieht sehr appetitlich aus. Wenn es draußen kalt und frostig ist, wärmt sie bestimmt ganz wunderbar den Magen.
Viele Grüße aus Deutschland…von Rosie
Yes, it surely does. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
💖💖💖
Never cooked chana in this combination.Seems interesting .Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you liked this south Indian preparation. Thanks for reading this post.
Your welcome?.
This is new ! Like Channa very healthy!
Yes, thank you.
I absolutely love kabuli chana, but I mostly use it to make chana masala or sundal only. Channa Kulambu is new to me. It looks so good! I’m surely going to try this out soon.
Oh! Thanks. 🙂
Thanks for teaching a new variety of kulambu with channa. Looks so delicious
Thank you so much.
Very nice presentation
Can we use thooduvalai leaves with the thorn
Thank you.
Yes, you can use them with the thorns, please check out my detailed post on thoothuvalai here: https://megalaskitchen.com/2017/11/24/thoothuvalai-chutney/
I likelall your serving suggestions of accompanying kadalai kulambu along with rice mashed spinach, yogurt vegetables curry and scrambled potato. It would make for a wonderful eating experience and also I just love chickoeas. ???????
Marina
I’m so delighted to hear this. 🙂 Thank you so much, Marina!
This sounds delicious! I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure going to now.
Great post!
Khanak x
http://www.khanakm.com
Thank you!
Gotta try this out too! Sounds lipsmacking. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
We were both thinking of chana this week! Happy to have another recipe. thanks for sharing.
Pleasure is always mine. 🙂
I’m sorry for the late reply as I missed to notice your comment.
No problem Meghala. Have a great weekend!
This is new to me… will give it a try! Thank you Megala
You are welcome! Thanks much for reading my posts,
நன்றி,Thank you for sharing this dish ?
You are most welcome! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
It seems like such a simple dish, yet the spices are incredibly complex. I would have never guessed there were poppy seeds in there! I’ll have to try this blend.
Thank you.
This looks delicious! it will be a little challenging because the ingredients may not easy to be found here… However, I am still trying it! I am experimental. haha!
Oh, nice to hear this. You can very well try with any curry powder available with you. ?
Thank you.
Really?! any curry powder will work?! thank you for the tip! That is much easier now!
Yes, go ahead and let me know how it turned out for you.
Hello Megala, I used the curry powder I got from a Vietnamese shop. It was very good! I am going to try another type of curry – curry bar from Japan. ^^
Oh! Thank you so much Lady Oscar!
Channa recipe reminds me of Ganesh chaturthi… My grand mother used to prepare this dish and distribute all over her street.
Delicious one..
Oh, nice! Your grand mother must be an amazing person and a talented cook.
Thank you.
Yup… Reminds her a lot..
This looks really good-a great way to use chickpeas! 🙂
Thank you.
I think the chickpeas in it would make it a healthy dish!
Yes, thanks! 🙂
I cook this at home, It is very delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I’m so delighted to hear this. Thank you so much.
Looks amazing , Megala. are there any left overs ever? LOL
Of course not. 🙂 Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply, I missed to notice your comment.
As always you have made me hungry and drooling.
Thank you!
This sounds so delicious! ?
Thanks! 🙂
This sounds delightfully delicious, Megala. And it looks wonderful. Your images are always so good… 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Woww the dish sounds fantastic !! Love this proteinrich dish ❤️ and looks hard to stop eating this ??
Hope ur Sunday ll be fantastic ?
Yes, thanks a lot. 🙂
Chana with brinjal and drumsticks. This is new for me?? would love to try this
Yes, do try, you will definitely enjoy the drumstick flavored channa curry. 🙂 Thank you.
Oooh yummy!
Thank you! 🙂
I love that your blog is becoming more and more varied and informative, Megala. Thank you!
Glad you feel so, thank you so much for reading my posts.
Very nice recipe with chickpeas, eggplants and drumsticks.. Masala looks so tempting.. this is one spicy treat!!
Yes, it is, thanks much.
Your presentations are always so lovely. Everything looks delicious!
Thanks Dominique!
My pleasure. ?
Megala, thank you very much for introducing this different style of kaabuli chana recipe. That kadai full of chana looks so tempting!!
Thanks much! 🙂
Love all the bright colors of the foods here~ shows so much nutritional diversity and so pleasing to the eye!
Glad you like this platter, thank you!
The combination of chana with drumsticks and brinjal sounds interesting. Lovely share Megala!
Thanks Smitha!
Sounds good! I too remember that way back in those days, channa was black mooku kadalai only. Kabuli channa came much later. Please share how you prepared the red rice too.
Yes, I remember my grand mother describing white chickpeas gaseous for her.
Red rice takes little longer than normal rice, so it is better to soak them for an hour before cooking. I feel it is better to avoid pressure cooking, as the rice turns stickier.
Thanks much for reading this post.
A little different than chana masala and sounds delicious with drumsticks will definitely give it a try. Great share, Megala.
Thank you!
Welcome.
A fantastic share Megala.
Thanks!
That kulambu masala looks so yummy Megala! I will certainly try it!
Thank you!
Looks like idea?
Thanks! 🙂
Texture is so good ?
Thank you!
Very enticing photos Megala! Looks yummy.
Thank you!
I wish I could fly to India and taste your dishes!!
Most welcome! 🙂
Thanks to you Megala, I am learning about so many new varieties of regional cuisines.?
Yes, we all learn recipes around the globe through WordPress. 🙂 Thanks Radhika for your constant support.
Never knew channa can be prepared with drumstick!! Always made channa masala only!! Thanks, Megala ?
Yes, it is indeed a delicious & flavorful pair. Thank you. 🙂
Sounds delicious with all the different flavours, will definitely try. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome! Thanks for reading this post & leaving your comment.
These sound so yummy Megala. I am so grateful for your recipes 🙂 LORD, thank You for Megala, and for continuing to bless her 🙂
Thank you so much dear friend. 🙂
This recipe is new to me , looks so delicious and colorful .I’m sure the flavors of drumstick, garbanzo and other ingredients must make it taste out of the world.
Yes, it really is. Thank you so much.
I like how beautifully the food is presented, great photographs, even the utensils shine in a lovely way.❤️
Thanks much! 🙂
You’re very welcome Megala!?
I love this! It’s not only flavourful but also so good for human health! Thanks Megala for sharing!
I am glad you like this recipe and appreciate your kind comment.
Wow.. Looks so delish!❤️
Thanks!
Great selection of tasty foods. Looks delicious! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Nice combo of drumsticks, eggplant and chickpeas. ?
Yes, indeed! Thanks.
This is something new. Look so delicious ?
Thanks! 🙂
You’re welcome ????
Looks delicious and satisfying! Love spicy curries!!
Yes, we all Indians love spicy curries. 🙂 Thank you.
My absolute pleasure ?
Megala ji moutg watering dish ..Channa Kolambu is one of my favorite too…
Oh, nice. 🙂 Thanks Anamika!
I love chickpeas so much…this looks delicious!
Thank you so much for reading this post & sharing your comment.
The colour looks bright and inviting, Megala. It looks yum
Hi, how are you? Its been quite a long time, hope you are doing good. 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Hi Megala, I am doing good. How are you? Yeah, it’s been a long time.