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Chole (Dilliwale Chole Bhature)

Swati
Learn how to make spicy and tangy Chole/Chickpea Curry with Bhature, North Indian popular street food.
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Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Chickpea Soaking time 6 hrs
Course Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine Indian North Indian, Punjabi
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Pan for preparing curry
  • Colander for separating boiled chickpeas and water
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Ladle
  • Knife

Ingredients
  

For Boiling Chickpeas

  • 250 gm Dried Chickpeas
  • Salt as per taste

Sabut Garam Masala / Dry Whole Spices to be added with chickpeas

  • 1-2 Tej Patta /Bay Leaves
  • Dalchini/Cinnamon Stick small
  • 4-5 Laung (Cloves)
  • 4-5 Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Kali Elaichi( Big Cardamom)

For Curry

  • 1 Onions medium sized
  • 2 Tomatoes Pureed medium sized
  • 4 tbsp Curd
  • 1" Ginger piece
  • 2-3 tsp Chole/ Chana Masala(Store bought or Homemade*)
  • 2 + 1 tbsp Desi Ghee(Indian Clarified Butter)/ Oil(any)--

Homemade Chole/Chana Masala or Spice Mix

  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • ½ tsp Cumin Powder
  • ½-1 tsp Red Chilli Powder add as required
  • ½ tsp Amchur Powder(Dry Mango Powder)
  • 1 tsp Anardana
  • ¼ tbsp Soonth/ Dry Ginger Powder

Instructions
 

Make Chole/Chana Spice Mix

  • Mix all the dry masala/spices and with a mortar and pestle or mix in grinder and keep aside.

Boil Chole/Chickpeas

  • Soak Chickpeas/Chole overnight or 5-6 hrs.
  • To boil chickpeas drain the water from soaked chickpeas, add in a pressure cooker with enough fresh water to soak the Chole just an inch or two above, let it boil for a minute if froth gathers on top discard it.
  • Add the dry whole spices/ sabut masala and pomegranate peel./amla or tea bag. If you want you can tie whole spices in small muslin spice bag and add to cooker. Take out once chickpeas are boiled.
  • Add salt as per your taste.Close the pressure cooker lid and cook till 2-3 whistles and then for 5-10 minutes on low flame.
  • Cooked chickpeas should be soft and easily mashed with a spoon.
  • Discard the teabag or pomegranate peel. This takes around 15-20 minutes.
  • Drain chickpeas in a bowl/pan. Retain the water for later use.

Add Chole/Chana Spice mix to boiled Chickpeas

  • Prepare the tempering. In a pan, add desi ghee/oil, when oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Desi ghee gives a unique aroma and taste to the dish. I have used desi ghee, you can use any oil of your choice.
  • Add all the mixed dry masala/spice mix. Roast it for few seconds and add to the Chole, mix it well coating Chole with masala.
  • Cover it and keep aside.
  • Many people add 1-2 potato while boiling Chole that I don't do as my folks don't like potatoes with Chole. If you want, add a medium peeled potato while boiling chole/chickpeas. Once you drain the Chickpeas water, mash lightly the boiled potato and add with chole/chickpeas to the tempering.

Make Curry for Chole

  • In another pan, add 1 tbsp of oil/ghee, add little cumin seeds, let it crackle.
  • Add chopped onion, fry till it is light brown.
  • Add tomato puree(grind ginger with tomato), cook for a minute then add curd and keep mixing it till it mixes with onion-tomato masala. Before adding curd beat it nicely to smooth consistency.
  • Cook the masala really well till oil/ghee separates. Add Chole to it and mix nicely. Add chole/chickpea water . Mash some chole with a ladle or wooden spoon and let it cook for 20 minutes on low flame.
  • Adjust the water if you feel the chole are too dry, also adjust the amount salt and the dry chana masala or spice level as per your taste. Use boiled chole water that we retained.
  • After 20 minutes switch off the flame and keep the Chole covered. It helps to fully absorb the masala/spices and enhances the flavour.
  • Reheat when ready to serve. Add some water if Chole curry thickens. We don't need watery curry for this but too dry Chole won't also go well with Bhature.

Notes

250gm of dried chickpeas are almost equal to 400 gm of boiled chickpeas.
You can use 2 cans of 15 oz which will give about 400 gm of chickpeas after draining the water from chickpeas.
All the whole spices and spice powders are available at Indian grocery store outside of India.
For Bhature I have used a mix of Whole Wheat Flour and All purpose Flour. You can use only one flour also as per your preferences.
Do not use very sour dahi/yogurt to add in curry. It will increase the tanginess of curry.
To reduce the tanginess of curry if you feel it is a bit more, then add 1/2 tsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of roasted chickpea flour/besan to it.
Keyword Chole Bhature
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