Kala chana is an Indian name for garbanzo beans, or chickpeas -- also known as Bengal gram in India. Indian garbanzo beans are smaller and darker than garbanzo beans grown in more temperate regions, such as the United States, according to Purdue University. You can use these nutritious legumes from the can or prepare dried kala chana by soaking and boiling them.
A cup of boiled kala chana contains 269 calories. It has 4 grams of total fat, with less than 1/2 gram of cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Beans are good plant-based sources of protein, and 1 cup of kala chana contains 15 grams of protein, or 30 percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Each cup of cooked kala chana provides 45 grams of total carbohydrates, including 8 grams of natural sugars. Garbanzo beans are cholesterol-free.
Good Source of Dietary Fiber
Each cup of kala chana provides 13 grams of dietary fiber. A high-fiber diet lowers your cholesterol levels and helps prevent constipation. Fiber helps regulate blood-sugar levels in individuals with diabetes, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. A 2,000-calorie diet should include at least 28 grams of fiber per day, but the average American consumes only 12 to 18 grams of fiber per day. Kala chana and other types of beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good sources of fiber.
Potassium and Sodium
Each cup of kala chana provides 477 milligrams of potassium, or 14 percent of the daily value, and only 11 milligrams of sodium, or less than 1 percent of the daily value. Sodium causes your body to retain water and increases your blood pressure, while potassium helps reduce the effects of sodium, according to MayoClinic.com. A high-potassium, low-sodium diet helps prevent high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke and kidney disease. A cup of kala chana boiled in salt water contains 399 milligrams of sodium.
Iron, Calcium and Folate
A cup of boiled kala chana provides 4.7 milligrams of iron, or 28 percent of the daily value. Iron is a component of hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying component of your red blood cells. Iron deficiency causes anemia. Each cup of boiled kala chana provides 80 milligrams of calcium, or 8 percent of the daily value for this bone-strengthening mineral. Pregnant women need to have adequate stores of folate for preventing neural tube birth defects, and a cup of boiled kala chana supplies 282 micrograms of folate, or 71 percent of the daily value.
Kala Chana Uses
You can add canned or boiled kala chana to salads to increase the protein and fiber content. Kala chana curry is a spicy Indian stew that uses kala chana, oil, turmeric and other spices, such as ginger, red chili powder and coriander. You can limit the sodium in kala chana recipes by adding less salt for seasoning during cooking and at the table and by using low-sodium canned kala chana instead of salted canned beans.
Articles For Your Diet
- Purdue University: Cicer Arietinum L.
- Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Data for 16057, Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, Bengal Gram), Mature Seeds, Cooked, Boiled, without Salt
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Fiber
- Food and Drug Administration: Calculate the Percent Daily Value for the Appropriate Nutrients
- Manjula's Kitchen: Kala Chana (Black Chickpea) Curry
- chickpea with chicken and tomato. image by Ramon Grosso from Fotolia.com