Chhole

Updating this recipe after a long time with few more pictures and better close up pictures too. I make chhole almost every week these days as my little one is too fond of it. She likes it with phulkas, pooris and basmati rice. Initially, during the initial days of my marriage, I wouldn’t make it often as hubby was never a big fan of chhole. But as Neha grew up and she started enjoying it, it has become a staple subzi in our home. I make chhole biryani, chhole cutlet, chhole salad and so on. I add a little bit of chhole masala to it. My favourite masala brand is the Badshah Chhole masala, the second favourite being Everest or MDH.

Now, this recipe is very close to my heart. We used to have funfair in our school every year and each class used to cook up some recipe to put up in the stall. When I was in 7th standard, our class teacher was a Punjabi lady and she taught us how to make this chhole. The recipe might have undergone some minor changes in these past years, but the essence is the same 🙂

Ingredients:

• White kabuli chana 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Onion 1 big
• Tomatoes 2 big
• Garlic cloves 2-3
• Red chilli powder 1 -2 tsp
• Coriander powder 2 tsp
• Chhole masala 2 tsp
• Refined oil 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves 3-4 sprigs
• Ginger juliennes 1 tsp
• Slit green chillies 1-2
• Clove 4-5
• Cinnamon 1 inch piece
• Bay leaf 1-2
• Black tea 2 tbsp/1 tea bag
• Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Wash and soak the white chana for 6-7 hours or overnight.
• Drain the water and cook it in little water along with the cloves and cinnamon till it is soft. Once the chickpeas is cooked well, discard the bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves.

• Finely chop the onions, tomatoes and garlic.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
• Saute the onion and garlic till it is golden in colour.

• Add the chilli powder, coriander powder and the chole masala and cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Make a smooth puree of the tomatoes, add it to the onions and cook till it is mushy.

• Add the cooked chana and stir well. Pour the tea extract or drop in a tea bag into the gravy. Adjust the salt.

• Pour some water and cook till everything gets nicely assimilated with each other. If you want a more thicker and creamier gravy, then take around two tablespoons of the cooked chana and pulse it into fine paste and add it to the gravy.

• If you like it more tangy and sour, add the tamarind pulp.

• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, slit green chillies and ginger juliennes.

• Serve hot with pooris, phulkas or batura.

Notes:

• If you want more gravy, you can grind few chana in a mixer and add it to the gravy while its boiling along with the masala.
• You can even sprinkle little chat masala and amchur on top if you plan to serve it along with some chat items.