Guyanese Style Channa - My Father's Recipe

Okay, so I'm not entirely sure what makes this dish exclusively Guyanese other than the fact that my father was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana (which - for those of you who don't know - is in South America) and taught to cook this dish by his mother (my grandmother, who was a native born Arawak Amerindian). I'm assuming that this dish's exclusivity has something to do with the particular blend of spices that are required for this recipe, but who knows, really. That's why I'm calling this one my Guyanese Channa, in sentimental tribute to my father.

Obviously, there is a strong culinary influence in Guyana (and the West Indies alike) from places like India, China, Holland, France and even England. This is one of those dishes that pulls it's roots from India (hence the name) but transforms itself entirely into something else, in my opinion. So, do not expect something along the lines of the taste of curry at all, as my grandmother's recipe does not fall into the category of curried chickpeas. But, for all sake and purposes, this remains a Caribbean dish.

I normally make this dish using two to three cans of chickpeas but for the sake of simplicity and more reasonable serving sizes I'll moderate my recipe to accommodate just one can of these brilliant little peas, which are a total staple in my house.

You will need:

• 1 400g Can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), water drained away
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil (not an absolute necessity as you can easily cook all of this together by adding and evaporating water in gradual amounts)
• 1-2 Cloves of garlic, skins removed and minced
• 1 Red onion, skin removed and diced
• 1 Vegetable stock cube (I'm using the Knorr brand but any other brand will do, Maggi is a good one)
• 1 Level teaspoon of Dunn's River All Purpose Seasoning (a dried blend of salt, coriander, pimento, chillies, onion, paprika, celery and garlic)
• A tiny pinch of ground cumin, optional (I usually forgo the cumin as I'm not too fond of the flavour but most West Indians include it in their cooking; my nod to authenticity)
• 2 Shallots/Spring onions, ends and tips removed and sliced any way you prefer
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper to taste
• A handful of coriander, chopped leaves and stalks for cooking and some top leaves reserved to garnish (my personal influence at work here)
• 1 Red chilli, deseeded and sliced, optional (I haven't added fresh chillies this time out of sympathy for my lightweight kids but I definitely recommend adding for that extra kick)

*Optional: You can include red, yellow and green bell peppers during the initial stages of the cooking process of this recipe for added flavour and colour.

How To

1. Firstly, you will need a non-stick pan or wok (preferably one with a lid). Place the pan on a medium heat and add in the chickpeas, minced garlic, stock cube and the coconut oil (if you are forgoing the oil, add in about four table spoons of water, now). Turn the heat up high and stir until the stock cube dissolves.

2. Now, add in the cumin and the All Purpose Seasoning. Stir again and turn the heat down low (remembering to add water incrementally; use your judgement with the amount as you don't want it too wet but also not too dry or else it can burn). You can now add the diced red onions, shallots, black pepper and the handful of chopped coriander (remember to reserve a few of the leaves for garnishing at the end). Give it a good stir on a high heat for about 2 minutes.

3. Turn the heat down low and cover the pan with a lid and let the chickpeas simmer and soak up all those wonderful flavours for around 5 more minutes. You want the onions to retain a slight crunch.

4. Lift the lid and serve. Garnish with coriander and freshly sliced chillies if you dare.

This recipe calls for very little cooking time and is one of the most fuss-free dishes I've ever thrown together. Whenever I eat chickpeas cooked in this way, I'm overwhelmed by the nostalgic waves of my childhood and the long held memories of me and my father, sneakily sitting down in the dark of night listening to reggae music on the radio, are more profound to me in that moment than ever before.

Taste of Guyana