This recipe for Chole is one of the easiest I’ve used. It doesn’t require the standard Punjabi masala…so, no more frying onions and tomatoes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Kabuli (White) Channa – 2 cups
Water – 5 cups
Salt – ½ tsp
Bade Elaichi (Big Cardamom) – 1
Cloves – 5
Cinnamon – 1 small piece
Garlic – ½ tsp, minced
Ginger – ½ tsp, minced
Onion – ½ medium, chopped
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Green Chili – 1 or to taste, slit
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch
Haldi (Turmeric) – ¼ tsp
Tomato Sauce – ½ cup (1/2 of 8 oz. can)
Garam Masala – ¼ tsp
Chole Masala – 2 tsp
Dhania Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)
Lemon Juice – ½ tsp (to taste)
Cilantro – 5 sprigs, chopped for garnishing
Method:
- Soak 2 cups Channa in 4 cups Water for at least 3 hours.
- In a pressure cooker, add Channa with the Water, Salt, Bade Elaichi, Cloves, Cinnamon, Garlic, Ginger, Onion and Tomato.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles, reduce flame to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Heat Oil in a separate medium sized, non-stick pan.
- Add Hing and Haldi.
- Add Tomato Sauce, mix well and sauté until oil starts to separate.
- Add Garam Masala, Chole Masala, Dhania Powder and Red Chili Powder – mix well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cooked Channa (with the water) to the pan and mix well.
- Boil for 5 minutes or to get a thicker gravy, pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
- Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt, Chili Powder and Chole Masala to taste.
- Garnish with Cilantro.
- Serves 4-5
Tips:
- If you don’t have time to soak the Channa for 3 hours, bring Channa and water to a boil on the stove, in a pan with a tight fitting lid. Boil for 5 minutes and turn off stove. Cover the pan with the lid and let it stand for 1 hour. Your Channa should be ready to pressure cook.
- If you don’t even have one hour to soak the Channa, try using canned Garbanzo Beans. The process is the same except let the pressure cooker whistle only 1 time and then turn off stove.
