Recipe: Sone Upkari - Manglorean Chickpeas with coconut - Vegan

Upkari is a common method of cooking vegetables and lentils by the Manglorean Konkani community. It is similar to the Fugath cooked in Goan & Anglo-Indian homes.

This particular dish is made from the small white channa (chickpeas) rather than the full size kabuli channa. It can also be made with small brown channa.The picture below is to give you an indication of the size. The bowl on the right has the dry channa and the bowl on the left shows the soaked and cooked channa.

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Ingredients:
150-200gms small white channa (chickpeas) soak overnight and pressure cook till done and drain.

1/2 coconut grated
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
3-4 dried red chillies
2 tsp urad dhal
pinch of hing/asafoetida
3-4 greeen chillies finely chopped (optional)
small bunch of corriander leaves finely chopped
3 tsps coconut oil (don't stint on this otherwise this dish will turn very dry)

Method:
In a pan, heat the coconut oil, add the asafoetida, then the urad dhal, then the mustard seeds, the jeera, dry red chillies and the curry leaves for tempering.

Next add the coconut and the fresh green chillies if using and fry a little until the coconut is cooked.

Add the cooked channa, use a little liquid from the pressure cooker, if you want more moisture.
Garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

This dish is a little dry to eat with just rotis. But goes very well with rice and sambhar or rice and dhal.