Channa (Chickpeas) and sour, a magical thing of childhood days, it was not unlike dining out at a Michelin star restaurant today. Hear me out.
It was the anticipation of the romancing of our senses, while sitting in a classroom waiting for that dismissive ring of the school bell. And it was the flush of adrenaline before the mad dash to the canteen, just like that feeling you get when your server arrives bearing a platter.
If there was a lineup it was a mad bound to the snack-lady outside the gates of the school grounds and being first in line. Just like making a reservation weeks in advance.
The only thing different is instead of pictures on our phones, we have vibrant memory-images, instead of rave reviews on google, we have old friends catching up and raving about the “snack-lady”. Instead of a steep bill that could make our credit cards melt, we spent pennies and still had left over money for the home-made toffees.
Even to this day when I make this dish, the scents of steaming boil-and-fry channa and bubbling spicy mango sour are heavenly aromas that takes me back to my “small days”. It is an aroma of nostalgia for the innocence of childhood things. It is the regret that I did not know enough back then to just slow down and enjoy the moments of childhood
The memory of it is not only about the mouthwatering flavours of the streetfood snack, nor is it solely about the bursts of uncensored schoolyard chatter.
All of that mattered, but what was most important…was the thought of that brief moment of freedom.
Freedom from hard desktops and harder benches. It was blessed relief from the glowering stare of a frenemy, or the reprimand emanating off the very structure of the teacher.
It was the joy of physically standing in the breeze and inhaling the scent of it, it was sunshine on my brown skin, skin that craved the rays like fish need water.
It was the contrasting flavours and textured taste of it.
It was the epitome of a Guyanese childhood.
And just like back then, my recipe today is the union of onion-infused channa harmonising perfectly with the spicy garlic-forward mango sour.
Nutritional notes:
Chickpeas (channa) are rich in plant-based protein, fibre, and minerals. Always a staple in the Guyanese kitchen, it is affordable, filling, and so full of flavour.
Channa is cooked here in the iconic “boil-and-fry” style, It’s vegan, gluten-free, and endlessly adaptable.
Boil-and-Fry Channa • ¼ cup olive oil Mango Sour Boil-and-Fry Channa Mango Sour Note: Leftovers can be bottled and froze for up to a year in the freezer, or bottled ad kept in the fridge for one month. Please use a clean spoon every time. Serve in a bowl, pile the channa high, and top with a generous dollop of mango sour. Enjoy!
Ingredients
• 1 large onion, diced finely
• 2 tsps. cumin powder (grounded geerah seeds)
• 4 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 can, drained and rinsed)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup of water (if needed)
• 1 large half-ripe mango, peeled and the meat sliced off the seed
• 1 whole habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1or 2 tsps. salt (to balance the acid and preserve the mango)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup waterInstructions
1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and bring to a sizzle. Sauté until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the cumin and let it roast a bit (10 seconds)
3. Stir in the cooked chickpeas. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
4. Let the channa fry gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned bits stick to the pan (add a splash of water if it is drying too fast).
5. Once done, remove from the heat and set aside.
1. In a medium sized saucepan, combine mango, hot pepper, garlic, salt, vinegar and water and bring to a rapid boil. Stir well.
2. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently, keep it uncovered and and mash it quite often, stir often to avid the heavy mangoes sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Be careful with the heave spatters when stirring.
3. Keep cooking the mixture (about 15 minutes) until it is mostly smooth and silky with a few mango lumps in it (for texture and presentation).
4. Taste and adjust for tanginess and salt. Remove from the heat and set aside for plating.Notes