Punjabi Chole recipe, How to make Punjabi/Amritsari chole

This Punjabi chole masala recipe is a must try. If you want to get the taste of the Chole served in Punjabi joints or street food in Delhi, you must give it a try.

The main contributor to the flavor and aroma of the chole is the freshly ground chole masala. The spices are roasted till they get extra browned and are later ground. This chole masala is then blended with other ingredients. This is the most tried and tested chole recipe by me. 

To get the authentic dark color to the chole I have used tea bag. If you are not fussy about the dark color, then just plainly cook the chickpeas in water with some salt. If you add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the chole, it will make the chickpeas light and soft. I usually do not add baking soda.

Chole Bharute is our family favourite. Come breakfast lunch or dinner this Punjabi dish is favourite at any time of day. A spicy curried chickpeas served with fried flour bread. Chole bhature is best washed off with a glass of chilled lassi.

Step by step Punjabi chole recipe:

1. Rinse and soak the chickpeas (kabuli chana) in enough water overnight. Add enough water as the chole increases in size after soaking it. Rinse the soaked chickpeas.
2. Now in a pressure cooker add the chole along a tea bag and salt. Tea bags gives a dark color to the chana. Then add water and pressure cook the chana for 10-12 whistles. The chana should be cooked well. It should be soft when mashed with a spoon. The chana should not give you a bite when you eat it. Meanwhile make chana masala.
   
3. In a pan take whole spices for chole masala and roast them on low heat. 
4. Stir often and roast till they get extra browned. You have go beyond a point roasting them even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually. Don’t burn them.
5. Let the roasted spices cool down a bit and then grind them finely in a dry grinder.
6. By now the chana will be cooked. Remove the tea bag from the pressure cooker. 
7. Take oil in a pan or kadhai. Once hot, add chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
8. Then add ginger- garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
   
9. Add tomatoes and saute them till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masla.
   
10. Then add the powdered chole masla that we ground, along with turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.
    
11. Stir the dry masala and add cooked chole along with the stock in which it was cooked. Stir well.
    
12. Add salt as per taste. If required add more water.
13. Stir and simmer on a low flame till the gravy thickens a bit and get the consistency you prefer. The consistency of chole is never kept thin, but medium or dry is always preferred. If required mash a few chana, this will help to thicken the gravy. But it may alter the color of the curry.
14. In case you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while making chole masala, then you can add a pinch of amchur powder or some lemon juice.
    
15. Garnish chole masala with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
    

Punjabi chole recipe below:

Punjabi chole Prep time cook time total 20 min +soaking 25 min 45 min A lip-smacking and easy chole recipe AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: main CUISINE: north Indian SERVES: 2-3 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup= 240 ml) For Pressure cooking- ½ cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans, white chickpeas, kabuli chana) 1 black tea bag ¼ tsp salt 1½ cup water for pressure cooking the chickpeas For Punjabi Chole masala- 1 dry red chili 1 bay leaf/tej patta ½ inch cinnamon/dalchini 1 clove/lavang 1-2 peppercorns/sabut kali mirch 1 black cardamom/badi elaichi ½ tsp coriander seeds/dhania ½ tsp fennel seeds/saunf 1/8 tsp carom seeds/ajwain ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera 2 peppercorns/sabut kali mirch ¼ tsp dry pomegranate seeds/anardana For gravy: 1/3 cup finely chopped onion ½ cup finely chopped tomato 1 tbsp. ginger garlic and green chili paste (1/2 inch ginger, 1-2 small garlic clove and 1 green chili) ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder ¼ tsp garam masala powder ¼ tsp dry pomegranate seeds (or a pinch of dry mango powder/amchur) 2 tbsp. oil Salt as required  For Garnish: Some sliced onion and tomatoes ½ inch ginger/adrak, julienne 1 Sliced or quartered lime/nimbu Some chopped coriander leaves/dhania patti DIRECTION Rinse and soak the chickpeas (kabuli chana) in enough water overnight. Add enough water as the chole increases in size after soaking it. Rinse the soaked chickpeas. Now in a pressure cooker add the chole along a tea bag and salt. Tea bags gives a dark color to the chana. Then add water and pressure cook the chana for 10-12 whistles. The chana should be cooked well. It should be soft when mashed with a spoon. The chana should not give you a bite when you eat it. Meanwhile make chana masala. In a pan take whole spices for chole masala and roast them on low heat.  Stir often and roast till they get extra browned. You have go beyond a point roasting them even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually. Don’t burn them. Let the roasted spices cool down a bit and then grind them finely in a dry grinder. By now the chana will be cooked. Remove the tea bag from the pressure cooker. Take oil in a pan or kadhai. Once hot, add ginger- garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away. Then add chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown. Add tomatoes and saute them till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masla. Then add the powdered chole masla that we ground, along with turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder. Stir the dry masala and add cooked chole along with the stock in which it was cooked. Stir well. Add salt as per taste. If required add more water. Stir and simmer on a low flame till the gravy thickens a bit and get the consistency you prefer. The consistency of chole is never kept thin, but medium or dry is always preferred. If required mash a few chana, this will help to thicken the gravy. But it may alter the color of the curry. In case you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while making chole masala, then you can add a pinch of amchur powder or some lemon juice. Garnish chole masala with coriander leaves and ginger julienne. SERVING SUGGESTION Serve the Punjabi chole with kulcha, bhatura, poori or roti, along with sliced onions and lime.