Happy New year ! Lets have some awesome Chhole for the new year celebrations. There are many ways you can call this recipe : Chole , Chana Masala, Chholay . This is a very popular North Indian Recipe for main course. Punjab, Delhi are the main places where you will find this spicy treat served as part of street food.
Chhole is often eaten with Bhature and called Chhole Bhature. You can either make it dry or with thick gravy.
Chhole
Ingredients for pressure cooking
- White chickpeas or kabuli chana or chhole – ½ cup
- Water – 3 cups
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Cubeb or kabab cheeni – 4 to 5
- Bay leaf – 1
- Green cardamom – 1
- Black cardamom – 1
- Cloves – 2
- Cinnamons – ½ inch
- Garlic paste ¼ tsp
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for the gravy
- Mustard oil or white oil – 1 ½ tbsp. or as required
- Bay leaf – 1
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Dry red chili – 1
- Onion – ½ (medium sized, fine chopped)
- Tomato – 1(medium sized, chopped)
- Garlic paste – ½ tsp
- Ginger paste – ¼ tsp
- Green chili paste – ¼ tsp or as your taste
- Onion paste – ½ (onion)
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Kashmiri red chili powder for color – ½ tbsp
Ingredients for garnishing
- Green coriander leaves – ½ tbsp
- Ginger julienne – ½ inch
- Onion – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
- Green chilli – 1 (finely chopped)
- Curd – ½ tsp (optional)
- Roasted cumin powder – a big pinch
- Lime sliced
Method for making Chhole
- Soak white chickpeas in water overnight or for 8 – 10 hours.
- In a pressure cooker add the whole chickpeas, turmeric powder, kabab cheeni, bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, garlic paste, salt and water and pressure cook the chole for 2 whistles on a medium flame.
- After 2 whistles reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes turn off the flame and let the pressure comes down naturally. Don’t open the lid immediately.
- Open the pressure cooker and drain the excess water in a large bowl.
- Heat the oil in a pan or deep wok or kadai on a medium flame.
- Add cumin seed, dry red chili and bay leaf. When the cumin seeds start crackle add chopped onion and mix well.
- Sauté till the onions turn light brown.
- Add green chili paste, ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, cumin and coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder and mix well.
- Add chopped tomatoes and after 5 minutes add white chickpeas and sauté till the oil starts to leave the sides of the spices or masala.
- Add chickpeas stock (preserved drain water of boiled chickpeas) and simmer on a low to medium flame for 10 minutes or you get the consistency you prefer.
- Turn off the flame.
- Garnish with coriander leaves, ginger julienne, onion, green chilli, roasted cumin powder and lime sliced.
Your Chhole is ready. This is best enjoyed with Naan or Bhature, Steam rice, Roti or Paratha. Try our Paneer Paratha to go with this Chhole dish.
Chole or kabuli chana masala, how to make chole step by step
Ingredients
Ingredients for pressure cooking
- White chickpeas or kabuli chana or chole – ½ cup
- Water – 3 cups
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Cubeb or kabab cheeni – 4 to 5
- Bay leaf – 1
- Green cardamom – 1
- Black cardamom – 1
- Cloves – 2
- Cinnamons – ½ inch
- Garlic paste ¼ tsp
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for gravy
- Mustard oil or white oil – 1 ½ tbsp. or as required
- Bay leaf – 1
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Dry red chilli – 1
- Onion – ½ medium sized, fine chopped
- Tomato – 1 medium sized, chopped
- Garlic paste – ½ tsp
- Ginger paste – ¼ tsp
- Green chilli paste – ¼ tsp or as your taste
- Onion paste – ½ onion
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder for colour – ½ tbsp
Ingredients for garnishing
- Green coriander leaves – ½ tbsp
- Ginger julienne – ½ inch
- Onion – 1 tbsp finely chopped
- Green chilli – 1 finely chopped
- Curd – ½ tsp optional
- Roasted cumin powder – a big pinch
- Lime sliced
Instructions
- Soak white chickpeas in water overnight or 8 – 10 hours.
- In a pressure cooker add the whole chickpeas, turmeric powder, kabab cheeni, bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, garlic paste, salt and water and pressure cook the chole for 2 whistles on a medium flame.
- After 2 whistles reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes turn off the flame and let the pressure comes down naturally. Don’t open the lid immediately.
- Open the pressure cooker and drain the excess water in a large bowl.
- Heat the oil in a pan or deep wok or kadai on a medium flame.
- Add cumin seed, dry red chilli and bay leaf. When the cumin seeds start crackle add chopped onion and mix well.
- Sauté till the onions turn light brown.
- Add green chili paste, ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, cumin and coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix well.
- Add chopped tomatoes and after 5 minutes add white chickpeas and sauté till the oil starts to leave the sides of the spices or masala.
- Add chickpeas stock (preserved drain water of boiled chickpeas) and simmer on a low to medium flame for 10 minutes or you get the consistency you prefer.
- Turn off the flame.
- Garnish with coriander leaves, ginger julienne, onion, green chilli, roasted cumin powder and lime sliced.
Notes
Serving
Serve with Bhatura, Steam rice, Roti or Paratha.
Serve with Bhatura, Steam rice, Roti or Paratha.
