Chole Masala without Chole Masala Powder
Chhole Masala is a North Indian dish. It is all about boiled chickpeas, or kabuli chana, cooked in a rich, tangy gravy consisting of tomatoes, a little bit of onions, garlic, ginger, and a plethora of Indian spices sautéed or browned with the gravy. The chickpeas absorb the aromatic flavours of the spices in the gravy very well. The chickpeas maintain its shape but should be soft enough to melt in mouth
Ingredients
For Boiling Chole
- 1 cup kabuli chana chickpeas; soaked overnight
- 2-3 cups water; adjust as needed
- 1 tsp salt
- Whole spices – 3-4 star anise 5 cloves, 1 black cardamom. 5 green cardamom. ½” cinnamon
For Gravy
- 1 small onion
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 7 cloves of garlic; roughly chopped
- ¼ ” ginger; chopped
- 2-3 green chilies; chopped
Spices
- 3 tsp cumin powder
- ½ ” cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
- ½ tsp turmeric powder; haldi
- 2 tsp coriander powder; dhania
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tsp crushed kasoori methi; dried fenugreek leaves
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- Water as needed
- A few chopped coriander leaves; for garnish
Instructions
Boil the Chole(Chickpeas)
- Firstly, wash the chole (chickpeas) well.
- Transfer the chole(chickpeas) to a pressure cooker and add water.
- Add salt and the whole spices.
- Thereafter secure its lid and pressure cook till the chole are cooked.
- Finally, when pressure is released, open the lid.
- The chole should be soft but not very mushy.
- Discard the whole spices except 4 cloves and 2 pieces of star anise.
- Mash the cloves and add them back to the chole.
- Keep the chole (chickpeas) aside.
Make Gravy Paste
- To a blender add all the ingredients mentioned under the gravy list.
- Blend to make a paste.
- Then transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
Cook Gravy Paste
- To a pot, add 3 tbsp of oil. Warm it.
- Add the whole spices – cinnamon and cardamoms.
- Then add the cumin powder. Sauté well till it slightly changes color. Be careful not to burn.
- Thereafter, add the onion-tomato-ginger-garlic paste to the pot.
- Sauté on medium flame till liquids dry,
- Then add and saute whole spices and cumin powder
- Add tomato-onion-ginger-garlic paste
- Let liquids dry
- Now add the spices – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Go less on salt. .
- Sauté well on low to medium flame.
- As an when you notice masala/spice sticking to the bottom, add a tbsp of water. Each time the gravy mixture will turn dark. Repeat this once more.
- Finally add half cup water. Cover and let the gravy cook on low flame for 7 minutes.
Add boiled chole (chickpeas) to the Cooked Masala Gravy
- Once the gravy cooks add the chole along with the water and the star anise and mashed cloves to it.
- Add more water if needed. Add crushed kasuri methi, garam masala powder and some coriander leaves.
- Cover and simmer on low flame for 15 minutes.
- Once oil floats , put off the flame.
- Enjoy them hot with puri, bhatura, plain rice or pulao.
Notes
- The chickpeas must be soft but should maintain their shape.
- Take care not to burn the cumin powder.
- Sauté the gravy paste well till the raw flavor of garlic goes.
- Do not saute and brown the gravy paste for too long, otherwise it will give a bitter taste.