CHOLE

This is a delicious and popular chana recipe from the Northern part of India. A spicy and tempting curry is prepared from white chickpeas (kabuli chana), tomatoes, onion and basic Indian spices. It is best enjoyed with bhatura (deep fried puffed Indian bread) but you can serve it with Kulcha, phulka, chapati or rice too.

I have served this with wheat Kulcha.

Each and every household has its own way of cooking it, there may be slight variations in the preparation.

Preferably use an Iron Kadai to get the perfect blackish colour, I haven't used one.

Ingredients:

· White chickpeas (Kabuli chana) – 1 cup

· Salt

· Baking Soda – 2 pinches

· Water as required

· Dry /Sukha Amla – 5-6 pieces (optional) or add powder of amla

Potli with Whole spices:

· Black Cardamom – 1-2

· Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch

· Cloves - 3-4

· Green Cardamom – 2-3

· Black pepper – ¼ tsp

· Bay leaf – 1-2

· Carom seeds – ¾ tsp

· Garlic cloves - 6-7 nos. (crushed)

· Tea powder - 1 tsp

To cook Chole:

· Oil/ Ghee– 2-3 tbsp

· Carom seeds – ¾ tsp

· Onion – 2 medium sized

· Green chilies – 1-2

· Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

· Chole Masala powder - 1 tbsp

· Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

· Coriander Powder – 1.5 tsp

· Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

· Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

· Anardana powder – 1 tsp

· Salt to taste

· Tomato – 3-4 medium size (make puree)

· Water - 1 ½ to 2 cups

For tempering:

· Green chilies – 1-2

· Ginger julienne - 1 inch

· Ghee - 1 tbsp

· Hot Ghee – 1 tbsp

· Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

· Wash the white chickpeas well and soak it for 6-7 hours or overnight.

· Make a potli with the spices that is mentioned above.

· Take a pressure cooker add the soaked white chickpeas, little baking soda, amla powder or pieces and the potli that contains spices.

· Once the pressure cooker cools down strain the white chickpeas and keep the water aside. Add little chole masala to the cooked white chickpeas.

· Take a kadai add oil/ ghee, carom seeds, green chilies and chopped onions.

· Add ginger garlic paste. Once the raw smell goes away add the powdered spices.

· Sauté it for sometime and add the tomato puree and salt.

· Once the oil/ ghee is released add the cooked chickpeas and little portion of the retained water. Slightly mash few chickpeas. Now add all the retained water.

· Give a good mix, let it boil. Now add the ginger juliennes and green chilies.

· Heat ghee and pour it on the chole and and give a good mix.

· Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot with Kulcha, batura, phulka, chapati or rice.