Chole Masala—A Favorite in Every Indian Household!

Punjabi chole masala, when done right, is every bit fiery and knockout! This dish is basically a spicy, tangy stew of cooked chickpeas infused with Indian spices. Chole masala is treat to the senses—looks good, smells great, and tastes even better! This recipe takes 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook and serves 4 persons.

Nutritious Value:

Chickpeas are an excellent source of dietary fiber. The skin of chickpeas, in particular, helps keep your stomach and gut clean. Chickpeas also contain proteins in abundance.

Ingredients

white chickpeas—cooked: 2 ½ cups

tea powder/tea leaves: 1 – 2 tsp

tomatoes—blended to a puree: 2

onion—chopped: 1

ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

cooking oil: 2 tbsp

salt to taste

sprigs coriander leaves—chopped

bay leaves: 2

cardamom: 10 gm

Coriander seeds: 5 gm

cumin seeds: 1 tsp

peppercorns: 3-4

dry red chillis: 2

cloves: 2

cinnamon stick: A 3-inch

How To Make Chole Masala—A Favorite in Every Indian Household!

1. Soak chickpeas overnight.
2. Spread out a muslin cloth, add tea leaves/powder, secure tightly. Alternatively, you can use a teabag.
3. Pressure cook chickpeas along with the bag of tea powder/leaves. It takes three to four whistles for the chickpeas to cook completely.
4. Once done, remove the tea bag, transfer cooked chickpeas into a colander, and mash a fistful of chole.
5. Dry roast the spices (for the masala) separately, let cool, and grind into a fine powder.
6. Heat oil in a pan over medium flame and sauté onions till translucent.
7. Follow up with ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell of the paste diminishes.
8. Add tomato puree and stir till the raw red of the puree turns slightly deep.
9. Add salt, turmeric powder, mashed chole and cooked chole and stir for about a minute.
10. Add the ground masala and 4 – 5 ounces of water, cover with a lid, and let simmer.

Note: at this point you may also add a tsp of crushed pomegranate seeds/dried mango powder/dried gooseberry powder for extra acidity.

1. Once the water reduces to bind the flavors of masala and turmeric, turn off the heat, and garnish generously with fresh, chopped coriander.
2. Serve with a mix of raw, julienned vegetables (onions, carrots, cabbage), diced cucumber, slit green chilis, and a couple of lemon wedges.

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Trivia:

• Chickpeas come in various colors, including black, green, red and brown!
• Chickpea flour is used as an exfoliate and cleanser in South India!