Chole Masala Recipe Chana Masala Whiskaffair

on Aug 10, 2022, Updated Nov 03, 2023 Here are some more chole recipes that you may like: Palak Chole, Aloo Chole, Achari Chole, and Chana Madra.

About Chole Masala (Chana Masala)

Chole (Chana) is chickpeas in Hindi, and masala is a curry made with onion, tomato, and spices. Chole Masala (Chana Masala) is a spicy Indian curry made using chickpeas that is very popular in the Punjab and Delhi regions. It is a must-make dish for all festivals, Indian weddings, parties, and get-togethers. Chole Bhature (fried puffed bread) is a popular combination and comfort food for many Indians. Some homes even have the ritual of making this combination for Sunday lunches. Punjabi chole is listed on the menu of most Indian restaurants, and although you can order it from outside, the taste of homemade chole is unmatchable. Each home has its recipe to make chole. Some make it with onions and garlic, and some make it without. Some people add chole masala powder, and some don’t. few people cook the soaked chole and then add them to the masala, and some, like me, cook them all together. My recipe for this Punjabi chole curry is one-pot, uses basic ingredients, and comes together quickly. You get the curry that is dark in color, spicy, tangy, and full of flavors. Chana Masala can be made in a 3-qt traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot. If scaling it, make sure to use a bigger pressure cooker or instant pot. The cooking time will remain the same.

Serving Suggestions

Chole curry can be served for brunch, breakfast, dinner, or lunch with Poori, Plain Naan, Garlic Naan, or Bhatura. Chickpeas (Chana, Chole, Garbanzo Beans) – This recipe traditionally uses dry chickpeas. To save time, you can use canned chickpeas as well. Black Tea (Chai Patti) – This is the trick to getting dark-colored chickpea curry. You can use loose black tea or tea bags. Some people use dry amla (gooseberry) to darken their chole curry. Whole Spices – You will need some whole spices such as cloves (laung), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cinnamon (dalchini). Crush them a little in a mortar and pestle for the best flavor. Spice Powders – To flavor the curry, you will need chole masala powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder (jeera powder), and anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powder). I use Everest brand chole masala powder, but you can use any brand you like. Anadrana powder gives this Punjabi chole recipe a tangy taste and is traditionally added. But if it is not easily available, skip it and add some more tamarind paste once the chole curry is ready. Kasuri Methi adds a nice rustic flavor. I make my own, but you can also use a packet. Oil – Make this curry in any cooking oil. I prefer mustard oil or ghee. Others – You will also need onions, ginger garlic paste, grated fresh tomatoes, baking soda, tamarind paste, and salt. Baking soda helps cook the chole very nicely. Tempering – Although optional, a ghee tempering at the end makes this curry even more extravagant. You will need ghee, asafetida (hing), fresh ginger, and green chilies. Skip adding asafetida for a gluten-free curry. Replace ghee with oil for a vegan curry. Drain the water and wash them well once more. Drain and keep aside.

2-3 cloves 1 black cardamom 2-3 green cardamoms 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

Heat 5 tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.

2 tablespoon of chole masala powder 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon anardana powder (optional)

soaked chole tea water ⅛ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon salt 1 cup of plain water

Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the cooker. Slightly mash the chole using the back of a ladle for the creamy texture of the curry. Check for salt and add more if needed. If the chole is not tangy enough, add a teaspoon or two of tamarind paste, dry mango powder (amchur powder), or lime juice. Follow the recipe until the chole and water are added. Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Press PRESSURE COOK mode and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and the timer to start. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid. Open the lid add 1 tablespoon of Kauri methi and 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste, and mix well. Slightly mash the chole using the back of a ladle for a super creamy texture for the curry. Check for salt and add more if needed. If the chole is not tangy enough, add a teaspoon or two of tamarind paste, dry mango powder (amchur powder), or lime juice. Once the ghee is hot, add the following ingredients and fry for 10-12 seconds.

½ teaspoon asafetida 2-3 green chiles (slit into half) 1 teaspoon ginger juliennes

Always slightly overcook the chickpeas. They should very easily press in between your fingers. Tea is optional, but if you need that dark color in your chole curry, you must use it. Never use tea bags directly in the cooker, as they might burst. Slightly mashing a few chickpeas, once the curry is ready, makes the curry very creamy. If anardana is not available, you can substitute lemon juice, tamarind pulp, or dry mango powder. I like the consistency of my Punjabi chole masala on the drier side. You can choose to add more water to make the gravy thinner. You can also serve Punjabi chana masala with Plain Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, Phulka, Steamed Rice, or Jeera Rice. I sometimes add it over my Aloo Tikkis and then top it with coriander mint chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, finely chopped onions, and sev to make chaat.