Punjabi Chole or Chickpeas

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Punjabi Chole is chickpeas boiled and spiced up in a thick gravy. When you have it at restaurant you would notice that the colour of the dish is dark brown but when you usually make them at home they would turn up yellowish. Here are some simple tips which can bring out your dish as restaurant quality.

Ingredients

For Boiling the Chickpeas

250 grams Chole (Chickpeas) – You can also used the canned variety which is already boiled.
Amla 1 ( If you can find it then use it instead of tea bag, this has great nutrients and will give the dark colour as well)
4-6 Pieces Kali Ilaichi
Salt to taste
Black Salt 1 teaspoon (use as desired or mix half of white salt and half of black salt)
3-4 Green Chillies – finely chopped
2-3 Tomatoes – finely chopped
1 piece Ginger – finely chopped
2-3 tsp Green Coriander – finely chopped
1 Onion – finely chopped
1/2 tsp Mangopowder (aamchur)
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
Red Chillies to taste
2 tsp dry Coriander Powder
100 gms Table spoon Ghee
2 pieces Bay Leaves
Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
Garlic Paste 1 teaspoon

For Dry Spices (Masala)

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
6 pieces Clove
1 piece Cinnammon
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp. Jeera
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Anardana

Preparation

Soak Chole (Chickpeas) in water to soak overnight or at least 6 hours. Note: If you do not have time to soak it then just add a pinch of Cooking Soda, it will help in cooking it faster without soaking.
Take a pressure cooker (or use a normal sauce pan for boiling) and add Chole, Amla (or if using a team bag) ,Black Elaichi, Salt and add lots of water and boil for 10 minutes in the pressure cooker (30 minutes in a normal vessel). DO NOT OVERCOOK .If you overcook Chole it will end up like a starchy paste.
After cooking discard the teabag(if using it)
On a Tava or a frypan , roast all dry spices(masala) and grind it to a coarse powder.
In a separate pan heat oil and add bay leaves and fry.
Add Garlic paste and fry for a minute
Add the finely chopped onions and stir till golden brown.
Add finely chopped Tomatoes and fry until the oil start separating from the mass, which indicated that all the water has evaporated and the onion and tomato mixture is fully cooked.
Now add all the Chole (save the water in which you boiled them as we will add it later) in the pan and mix well for 2 minutes.
Add the dry Masala which you have already roasted on a pan.
Add Amchur ,Black Salt(if using).
Add the ginger paste. (We add it late to keep the flavour)
Now add the water in which you boiled the chikpeas.
Let it bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 minutes. ( Bring it to the consistency which you like, if you are having it with rice then slightly runny consistency is fine, if eating with roti or naan then let the water dry bit more)
Add the 2 tsp dry Coriander Powder.
If the curry looks too thick then add some water.
You can also mash some of the chole by pressing it with a spatula to give it a thick consistency like thick cream.
Garnish it with chopped coriander. Green chillies halves.

Red onions soaked in vinegar are an excellent accompaniment with Chole.

Tip:Add some ghee on top while serving.

Serve it with Naan, Rice or Roti

TIP : The chole which you eat in the shops have slightly blackish colour.

This can be achieved in many ways at home.

While boiling the choles add One Tea Bag
or
add a Anvla (AMLA) it will make the choles black.
or
Add 2 -3 drops of soya sauce while you finished the cooking(DO NOT add more than this otherwise the taste will be overshadowed with Soya Sauce flavour)

Tip:
While Preparing the dry masala which consists of the following ingredients. Roast them till they start getting burnt and turn black.

For Dry Spices (Masala)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
6 pieces Clove
1 piece Cinnammon
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp. Jeera
4 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Anardana

Tip: Garnish it with Ginger Julienes , Green Coriander and sliced green chillies.

Recipe Name

Punjabi Chole

Published On

2014-09-28