Chole (also known as chana masala or chole masala) is a northern Indian dish made from chickpeas. It's spicy, spiced and slightly citrusy. In India, this dish is often eaten with bhatura, a type of bread. However, you can also find this food outside of India, from Indian restaurants in the UK to frozen at American Trader Joe's. But if you want to make your own chole, take a look at Step 1 to get started right away.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas (kabuli channa)
- 2 chopped potatoes
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (dhania)
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder (jeera)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon mango powder (amchur powder)
- 1 tablespoon chole masala
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 3 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- For decoration:
- 1 slice of tomato
- 1 chili
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- lemon slice
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Cooking prep time: 15 minutes
- Serving 3-4 people
Step
Step 1. Soak the beans in cold water for at least 6 hours
You should soak 1 cup of dried beans in cold water overnight or even for 24 hours for best results. Another option if you're in a hurry is to use canned beans so you don't have to soak them first, but your cooking may not be as delicious as using fresh beans.
Step 2. Cook the beans in a pressure cooker
Once you've soaked the beans, also known as channa, you can strain and rinse them before placing them in the pressure cooker. Pour in the water to cover all the beans in the pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 bay leaves to it and cook for about 20 minutes until slightly soft, the beans will get softer after you fry them. You can also use a heavy pot if you don't have a pressure cooker at home.
Step 3. Fry the potatoes in a frying pan using ghee
Heat three tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter) in a frying pan and add 2 chopped potatoes in it. Fry the potatoes until soft, which is about 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are done cooking, remove them from the pan but leave the remaining butter in them.
Step 4. Saute coriander leaves, cumin and chili powder in the same frying pan for a few seconds
Use the remaining butter that remains after frying the potatoes to sauté 2 tablespoons of cilantro (dhania), 1 tablespoon of cumin (jeera powder), and 2 tablespoons of chili powder.
Step 5. Put the boiled peanuts in a frying pan and fry for 5 minutes
Add the boiled peanuts to the frying pan and stir until well combined with the other ingredients. Use low to medium heat when frying.
Step 6. Add chole masala, mango powder and black pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes
After you have fried the beans with the other spices, add 1 tablespoon of mango powder, 1 tablespoon of chole masala, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir the ingredients until evenly distributed.
Step 7. Put the chopped potatoes and tomatoes in a frying pan and cook for 2 minutes
Add the cooked chopped potato and 1 sliced tomato to the frying pan. When you are done, remove from the pan and place on a serving plate.
Step 8. Add embellishments
Add garnish to the dish by laying tomato slices around the plate, placing the chili peppers on top and sprinkling with chopped cilantro.
Step 9. Serve
You can serve this delicious dish with bhatoora, puri, barley or rice. You can also add sour cream and a squeeze of lemon on top.
Step 10. Try making other variations of the chole
You can make variations of this dish using different spices or vegetables using the same cooking method. Try some of these variations of chole:
- Methi chole. This dish is made with onion or tomato paste, fenugreek leaves, cardamom and cinnamon.
- Palak chole. This chole is made with spinach or palak.
- Chole with coconut. This delectable dish derives its unique taste from grated coconut.
