Driving back home, the snow was coming down hard, our temps have been in single digits lately and our windchills were at a -30 this evening. The snow was making waves on the roads because of the strong winds and the visibility was very poor.Reaching home safe was the only thing on my mind, the hunger pangs within was louder than the traffic outside. Stuck in crazy traffic and the bitter cold for more than an hour, my mind was mentally running through my pantry, checking out items in my inventory that could help fix a quick dinner & an evening snack combo to beat the cold outside. It has to be quick, easy & spicy to make, I told myself.

Finally got off the highway and into maneuvering the local roads, the snow was still thick & some roads haven’t been plowed yet, which means more delays getting home, either way, by the time I reached home, I had a plan for dinner, all set & ready to go !

It had to be done in a jiffy, coz my energy levels start to go down as the sun begins to set, am not a winter person by a long shot, so there is very less motivation in winter to try out any extravagant recipes unless I am cozied up at home feeling warm all day, but on days like this after surviving the crazy traffic & bitter cold, I was not in for laborious cooking. It had to be a quick & an easy one, yet deliciously comforting to my tired nerves & spirit !
This is the time to open your canned garbanzo/chickpea/chana tins, I told myself and set about making this quick & easy chaat /Indian street food with a Bihari flair to it ( Bihar is a state in the North Eastern part of India & this dish is a part of their cuisine !) It can be had as an evening snack in itself if you are one who favors the chaats or street foods of India or you can have it with Indian flat breads like Roti , Parathas or Naan, goes well with either. Had some Ajwain/Carom seeds Parathas in my freezer for days like this, when you are in a brain freeze to think clearly & plan your menu, so combined the two & had a delicious Friday night dinner at home.

Chana/ChickPeas are used in this recipe, one can use the regular chickpeas which needs to be soaked overnight to make a curry or like I did here can use the canned version of it for quicker easier meals. When time is a constraint, I tend to use this canned garbanzo beans/chana/chickpeas.
Here goes the recipe :
Rest assured the Chana ghugni dish will remove all traces of the bitter cold outside from your memory & fill your thoughts with warm cozy deliciousness of a home cooked meal ! Enjoy!
Check out my other recipes using Chickpeas /Chana published earlier in the following links :
- https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/2018/11/11/chickpeas-in-spinach-soup-chole-palak/
- https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/2012/06/03/chick-peas-sundal/
- https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/2014/06/11/masal-vadai-spicy-patties/
- https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/2017/04/12/zucchini-koftas-in-creamy-coconut-curry/