Konkani Chick Pea Stew / Chane Vaagu

Konkani Chick Pea Stew / Chane Vaagu

Vaagu in Konkani means Tiger. Its also the name of a spicy stew, perhaps named for its beautiful Orange color and the heat of the red chillies that bring the mouth on fire.

The traditional Konkani Vaggu is made with potatoes and the sauce is prepared by grinding whole roasted spices. This dish has a strong flavor of hing and curry leaves. This recipe is simplified and some of the ingredients are substituted.
You may use white beans and potatoes instead of chick peas and zucchini. 

Ingredients
1 cup dried chick peas, soaked for 6 hrs min. You may use canned chick peas instead.
1 zucchini diced
2 ripe tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp hing powder
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 tsp oil

Method

Cook the chick peas..
If using canned chick peas, rinse and drain the chick peas. Cook the chick peas in a sauce pan for 10 mins. Canned chick peas are a little too firm and needs to soften a bit to absorb the flavors.
If you are using dried soaked chick peas then cook it in a pressure cooker.
Do not discard the water from the cooked chick peas, we will use it for the stew as needed.

Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves. Reduce the heat and add hing, chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry the powder till aromatic. Add tomatoes and cover and cook the tomatoes are disintegrated into a sauce. Add zucchini and cooked chick peas. Add the water from the chickpeas as needed. Add salt. Cover and cook till the zucchini is done.

Enjoy with bread or rotis or even over steamed rice.