One of the most flavored vegetarian curry recipes in India is the Punjabi Chole Recipe. It’s a spicy curry made with chickpeas that has been cooked with onions and tomatoes.
In northern India, chole is a staple dish that is necessary for every party or wedding celebration to be complete.
A common pairing for chole is bhatura or deep-fried bread. Chole chawal, sometimes referred to as chole with rice, is a highly well-liked meal combo. In Delhi and the surrounding areas, roadside carts are frequently found serving plates of chole chawal.
So are you guys ready to make those famous Kabuli chana masala recipes, that everybody loves to have, let’s get started!
What is Chole?
An Indian dish made with chickpeas, known as “chole,” is particularly popular in the country’s north.
Chole recipe is made by soaking chole, chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, for a whole night and then cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices.
There are many methods for preparing a choice, and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
Chole is made by some with or without tomatoes, and by others without onions. While some individuals use chole masala, a particular spice blend, others just use simple spices.
In India, two houses will rarely have the same chole recipe. However, the base of the dish remains the same.
Ingredients of Kabuli Chana Masala Recipe
Ingredients for making Kabuli chana Masala recipe or white chana recipe.
Raw Chickpeas: Raw chickpeas are the first ingredient needed for making actual Punjabi chole. Although you can use canned chickpeas in this recipe, the texture will not be the same.
Before using the raw chickpeas in the recipe, before making soak them for the entire night in simple water.
Spices (whole & ground): A lot of ground and whole spices, including bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, etc., are used in this recipe for the white chana recipe.
Ginger garlic paste: You can use either homemade ginger garlic paste or store-bought.
Tomatoes & onions: These make the base of this chole masala. The onions need to be very finely chopped or grated for this recipe and the tomatoes need to be pureed.
Black tea bags: Yes might seem an unusual ingredient in the form of black tea bags in this recipe. The tea bags are used only to give chole a dark color, they add nothing to the taste. You can skip them if you don’t care about the color of the chole. You can even use dried amla (gooseberry) to get this dark color.
Kabuli Chana Recipe
Follow the below-given instructions to make spicy and delicious chole:
Step 1: Soak raw chickpeas in enough water to cover them for the entire night. you should consume about five cups of raw chickpeas in the morning after soaking two cups of them. Empty the water that the chickpeas were submerged in.
Step 2: Add 2 bay leaves, 5 green cardamom pods, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 4 to 5 whole black peppercorns, and 2 black tea bags (remove if you don’t care about the color) to the stovetop pressure cooker with the chickpeas.
Step 3: Add around 5 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Step 4: After turning off the heat, take the cooker outside to cool. Check the chickpeas and open the cooker once the steam disappears. They need to be simple for you to press using your fingers.
If not, cook for two more whistles while closing the cooker. Using a pair of tongs, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves from the tea bags as well as the tea bags from the cooker.
Put this away and get to work making the masala.
Step 5: When it’s hot, add a few teaspoons of oil. Next, include a cup of grated onions and cloves in the pot. Fry for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are light golden brown and the raw scent has disappeared.
Cook the ginger-garlic paste for two minutes, or until the raw scent is gone. Stir in one cup of tomato puree at this point.
Step 6: With the lid on, boil the tomatoes over medium-low heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring every three minutes or so.
This is an important stage, in my opinion. The tomatoes must be cooked through and the raw smell removed.
Step 7: Add spices like 3 teaspoons chole masala, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Step 8: When the chickpeas are well mixed with the remaining masala, add the boiled ones to the pan and stir. After 30 minutes, the gravy will thicken, so adjust the amount of water.
If you’re one of those people who like thick gravy rather than thin gravy with chole, then feel free to add extra water to the recipe. While the chickpeas are cooking, mash some of them with the back of a ladle or spatula.
Step 9: The curry, chickpeas, and all the spices were combined thoroughly after 30 minutes. We are now able to temper. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee.
When it’s heated, add the julienned ginger (from the 1-inch ginger). Don’t burn the juliennes; instead, fry them until they get golden brown.
Step 10: Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1/2 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and 1/4 teaspoon garam masala. Mix everything, add extra cilantro to the chole if desired, and serve hot.
Serving Ideas
This kabuli chana masala recipe will taste great with fluffy bhatura (best combination) roti, tandoori roti, or plain rice. You can also serve it with any grain of choice like quinoa, couscous, etc.
As I mentioned above, chole-bhature and chole-chawal (chole & plain rice) are trendy combinations in North India and it’s hard to beat these combos!
Homemade Kabuli Chana Masala Powder Recipe
The specific spice mixture called chole masala, or chana masala, is used in this recipe for kabuli chana masala. Given that the food and spice mix has the same name, it might need to be explained!
This spice blend is readily available at Indian grocery stores, but if you’d rather create it yourself, here’s a quick recipe for homemade chole masala powder in case you can’t find it there.
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- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
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- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
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- 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds
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- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
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- 2 black cardamoms
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- 8 cloves
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- 3-4 dried red chilies
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- 2-inch cinnamon stick
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- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
All whole spices (except from ginger powder) should be dry-roasted in a pan over medium heat for about five minutes, or until fragrant and light golden. Take the spices out of the pan and let them cool.
Next, put the ground ginger and the toasted spices on a spice grinder. Grind the spices until they are easily ground and thoroughly mixed. Use this masala as needed, storing it in an airtight jar.
Expert Tips for Kabuli Chana Masala Recipe
Use good quality and fresh ingredients: using quality spices makes a difference to the final product’s taste. You may use homemade ginger garlic paste for maximum flavor.
1. Cook the tomatoes for the time mentioned: We know it might sound like a lot (15 minutes) but do boil the tomatoes for the amount of time mentioned in the recipe. It is important for the flavor of the chole.
2. Simmer on low for 30 minutes: After the spices, chickpeas, and masala have mixed well together, lower the flame and let the chole cook for 30 minutes. This helps deepen the flavor. You absolutely should not skip this step. Your choice will taste even better the next day!
3. Mash some of the chickpeas as the chole simmers: Using the back of your spatula, mash some of the chickpeas while the chole is simmering. This thickens the chole and also adds to the flavor and texture of the curry.
Conclusion
You now know the methods for making Punjabi Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala! There are many ways to customize these filling curries made with chickpeas.
Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, adjust the amount of spice, or add fresh herbs for a unique touch. Get your spices together, soak your chickpeas, and get ready to go on a delicious culinary adventure!
Bonus Tip: Try making this kabuli chana masala recipe with roti, rice, or naan for a hearty and fulfilling dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 How long to soak chole?
Ans. Pour 3 to 4 cups water and soak them overnight or at least for 8 hours. Longer soaking time helps in better digestion and chole turns out softer. Later drain and rinse them once with fresh water.
Q2 Can you make chole without soaking?
Ans. Yes, you can make chole without soaking but it will take a whole lot of time and resources to cook them thoroughly.
Q3 What to do if chole is spicy?
Ans. If your chole is too spicy, try adding heavy cream, yogurt, sour cream, or butter to help mellow it out.
Q4 Can I freeze chana masala?
Ans. Yes, you can freeze chana masala in the refrigerator for one to two days or can be frozen for up to two months. You can reheat it in the microwave or on a stovetop over medium-high heat. But, remember to not refreeze it once you’ve frozen and thawed it, or the curry just turns to mush.