Chole Masala or Chickpeas in spicy and tangy gravy is a popular NorthIndian curry which is accompanied with rice, rotis, poor is, naan breads and so on. Recently when I posted a picture of Chole Poori in my Instagram profile, few of them asked me for the recipe and I realised I have never posted one here before. So I just thought of sharing the recipe.

It is a very common recipe though but everyone has their own style of preparing a recipe and over the years making this almost every alternate weeks I have added my own touch to it.In India this chickpea curry is prepared in different masalas and every recipe is special in its own way. When you go to south , this recipe is prepared with coconut paste or coconut milk whereas in North its all about spices and tomato rich gravy.

Do checkout my recipe below and share your feedback if you like it. Don’t forget to checkout the notes I have mentioned at the end of the post.

Recipe:

Preparation time: 6 hours

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Chickpeas: 1.5 cups ( dried)
•  Onion: 2 finely chopped
• Tomato : 1 cup crushed or puree
• Ginger garlic paste: 1tbsp
• Green chillies: 2 finely chopped
• Black cardamom:1
• Green Cardamom:2
• Cloves: 2
• Cinnamon stick: 1 small size
• Cumin seeds:1tsp
• Asoefitida powder/ hint: 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp+ 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri Chilli powder: 2tbsp
• Coriander powder: 1.5 tbsp
• Chole Masala: 2 tbsp
• Salt: to taste
• Coriander leaves: 1 to 2 tbsp finely chopped
• Vegetable oil: 4tbsp

PREPARATION:

• Wash the chickpeas and soak overnight or for 6 hours.
• Drain the water, pressure cook the chickpeas with salt, turmeric powder, tea bag, whole spices either tied in a muslin cloth or locked in a small tea strainer( green and black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon) for 2 whistles. Let the pressure settle down on its own.
• Heat a Kadai /wok, add Oil followed by cumin seeds , let it crackle and then add green chillies and asoefitida. Give it a quick toss.
• Add onions and some salt and sauté till it turns light brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes off.
• Reduce the heat and add the spice powders ( turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder). Mix them well, add a tbsp or two of cooked chickpeas stock and mix them well for 2 to 3 mins.
• Next add the crushed or puréed tomatoes, mix well and cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• While the tomatoes are cooking, take around 1/4 cup of cooked chickpeas and mash them with a mortar and pestle and add this to the gravy along with the chickpeas stock, add stock according to the gravy consistency you require.
• Add chole masala and mix and let it come to boil.
• Now add the chickpeas and cover and cook on medium high flame for 5 mins , bring the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 12 mins.
• When the gravy is of desired consistency and oil starts appearing on top, sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and keep it covered for 10 to 15 mins before serving.

NOTES:

• Soaking chickpeas overnight or minimum for 6 hours is always better. If you are short of time , wash the chickpeas 2 times, soak the chickpeas in hot water and keep it in a sealed container for an hour or 2.
• You can substitute chole masala powder with garam masala powder , but chole masala would bring on the authentic taste.
• Adding smashed chickpeas makes the gravy creamy and thick.
• Use of teabag while pressure cooking chickpeas give the gravy a rich reddish brown colour.