Chanya Tonak in Instant Pot| Goan Dry Peas Curry

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Chanya Tonak or Goan Dry Green Peas Curry is a lip-smacking curry prepared using freshly ground masala and soaked Dry Green Peas. Popularly served for breakfast in Goa along with some freshly baked Goan Pao.

Goa & Goan Cuisine

Goa is a state on the southwestern coast of India surrounded by Maharashtra and Karnataka. With the Arabian Sea forming its western Coast, Goan cuisine is incomplete without seafood and rice. The use of fresh coconut and local spices is very common in this cuisine. With a mixed population in this region, the cuisine is too mixed. There is a lot of meat as well as delicious vegetarian dishes being cooked. Today I am sharing one such quick and easy vegetarian protein-rich recipe.

What is Chanya Tonak?

Chanya basically means Dry Peas and Tonak means gravy or curry. So Chanya Tonak means a gravy or a curry made using Dry Peas. At times is also called Goan Chana Ros or Patol Bhaji. Generally for this Dry Green Peas curry, Dry green peas are used, but one can use white peas or at times many even use Kabuli chana or chickpeas. 

My mom used to make a similar no-onion no garlic curry with white peas and we actually used to enjoy it with Pao. Little did I know that it was breakfast in some state or a popular dish. So while searching for breakfast recipes across the states, I decided to immediately shortlist this Chanya Tondak recipe. 

Goan Dry Green peas curry

While searching, I found multiple recipes. So I made a version which suits my family. This might not be the authentic way of preparing this Goan Dry peas curry, but we enjoyed it this way. I have added onion here, but I did read that if this is made for festivals or has to be offered as naivedyam, the onion is skipped. So feel free to skip if required. 

Recipe process of Goan Dry peas curry

Making this Chanya tonak/tondak needs a bit of planning. I.e. just the chanya or dry peas need to be soaked at least for 6-8 hours or overnight. Rest the process is simple. A fresh masala paste is made using coconut, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper, cinnamon, red chilly, and turmeric. This is then added to the oil and onion mix and sauteed until the masala releases a nice aroma. The peas are then added along with water and cooked in a pressure cooker / Instant pot or open pot until done. At times potato is also added but I have skipped it here. 

Serving Suggestions

I have served this with 100% whole wheat pao and Goan Baath/Batk Cake, a popular Semolina cake. For pav/pao I followed my own recipe of Eggless Indian Pav/Dinner Rolls. I just replaced the all purpose flour here with whole wheat flour or our Atta.  

So this week I am starting the series with Breakfast Thalis for the month-long BM. And today I am representing Goan Breakfast Thali. My earlier theme was Indian Flatbreads and Thalis.

Chanya Tonak in Instant Pot | Goan Dry Peas Curry | Goan Dry Green Peas Curry | Tondak

Chanya Tonak or Goan Dry Peas Curry is a lip-smacking breakfast recipe made using freshly ground masala and Green Peas, served along with Goan Pao.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: Goan, Indian

Keyword: Currry, Gluten Free, Legumes / Beans / Pulses, Vegan, Vegetables

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Saoking Time: 8 hours hours

Author: Renu Agrawal-Dongre

Equipment

• Open Pot / Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Masala Paste

• 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 3-4 whole Red Chilli
• 1 tablespoon of Fresh Coconut
• 1 teaspoon of Coriander seeds
• 5-6 whole black pepper
• ¼ inch of cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder I have used fresh turmeric ½ inch
• 2 Cloves
• 1 teaspoon of tamarind around a small marble size
• Water for making paste

Ingredients for the Gravy

• ½ Cup Dry Green Peas
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 1 small onion chopped around ½ cup
• Water as required
• Salt
• Rinse the Green peas and soak it in enough water for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Instructions

Masala Paste

• In a mixer grinder, add all the ingredients mentioned in the ingredient list for Masala Paste.
  
• Grind it into a fine paste with the help of water.
  

Pressure Cooker Method

• Rinse the soaked peas and keep it aside.
• In a pressure cooker add the oil.
• Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle.
  
• Now add the curry leaves, and chopped onion.
  
• Let the onion saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
• Once done add the freshly prepared paste and saute for 3-4 minutes.
  
• The masala is done when it starts releasing oil or you get a nice aroma.
  
• Now add the soaked peas and enough water (around 2 cups).
  
• Add salt and give everything a quick mix.
• Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles or until done (depending on your pressure cooker settings).
• Once done and the pressure has released, remove and garnish with coriander.
  
• Serve it for breakfast or brunch with some Pav and Cake.

Instant Pot Method

• Rinse the soaked peas and keep it aside.
• Switch on the Instant pot on saute mode for 10 minutes.
• Once on, add the oil.
• Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add the curry leaves, and chopped onion.
• Let the onion saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
• Once done add the freshly prepared paste and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• The masala is done when it starts releasing oil or you get a nice aroma.
• Now add the soaked peas and enough water (around 2 cups).
• Add salt and give everything a quick mix.
• Cancel the Saute mode.
• Switch on the pressure cooker mode. Pressure cook on high in Instant pot for 10 minutes.
• Once done let the pressure settle naturally.
• Remove and garnish with Coriander.
• Serve it for breakfast or brunch with some Pav and Cake

Video

Notes

• 1 Cup = 235 ml, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
• White peas can be used instead of green peas.
• One can even use Kabuli chala or Chickpeas

 

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Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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