छोले(Chole/Chickpeas Recipe) | An authentic North Indian Dish

Today I will share the recipe of "CHOLE", a popular north indian dish. I have limited expertise in culinary adventure. And "CHOLE" is one of them.

Any recipe in India is measured by-- "Texture", "Flavour", and "Color". I tried to strike a perfect balance among the three to make it as authentic as possible.

Disclaimer- I dont have a posh kitchen or utensils to present it lavishly, but my preparation is truly authentic, so please consider it in that spirit.

So let's start.

Before we start, let's prepare the dry chole masala first.

Ingredients for Dry Chole Masala--

2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chili (you can add more to adjust for spice preference)
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 black cardamom pods
2 cardamom(small)
1-inch cinnamon stick
5-6 cloves
2 tsp pomegranate seeds (anardana, key ingredient- But I did not have that in today's preparation, because I live in the countryside, and the local stores did not have that.)
1/2 javitri(nutmeg mace)
2 tsp kassuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)

Dry roast it for 2 mins on a low flame, and cool it down. Then grind it dry.

Then let's go for boiling chole(kabuli chana). Please note that I soaked around 200 grams of Chole for 8 hours. You may add 1 tsp baking soda during soaking it in water for 8 hrs, later on wash it properly before you boil it.

Ingredients for Boiling soaked chole(kabuli chana)--

200 grams of dried chickpeas (kabuli chana)

1 black tea bag or 1 tsp tea leaves (tied in muslin cloth)
1 black cardamom
1-inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste

Boil it in a pressure cooker. Keep the boiled water(which is enhanced with flavour), because that is key for imparting proper color and aroma to CHOLE.

Ingredients for Curry/Gravy

3 medium onions, (fine grinding/puree)
1 and 1/2 medium tomatoes, (pureed)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Finely chopped garlic
Julienne ginger
1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) (for tanginess)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder (for color)
1 and 1/2 tsp coriander powder
2-3 dry chole masala (which we prepared above/home-made)
1-2 tsp ghee or butter
Salt to taste
2-3 cups water (adjust for gravy consistency)
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/3 tsp carom seeds
Dry grated nutmeg powder
1-2 Bay leaf
2-3 tbsp mustard oil

Now, put the pan on a low-medium flame. Add 1/2 tsp asafoetida, followed by whole cumin seeds and carom seeds. Then add fine chopped garlic, cook it until it becomes golden-brown.

Put bay leaves in hot oil. Add 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes until raw aroma disappears.

Add pureed onion, followed by pureed tomatoes, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the oil separates from the masala.

Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, and 2-3 tsp prepared chole masala. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 tsp dry grated nutmeg powder, 1 tsp dried mango powder, etc.

Add julienne ginger and slitted green chilli.

Pour 2-3 cups reserved chana water (or plain water). Adjust consistency for thick or thin gravy. Add salt to taste.

Cook it for another 4-5 minutes and wait until the oil starts separating from the masala. Then add boiled chickpeas (Chole/Kabuli Chana), properly mix it to coat with masala.

Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld.

Add 1 tsp ghee at this stage. It will enhance the flavour. Simmer it for another 3/4 minutes.

Please note that CHOLE was prepared by me and CHAPATI(ROTI) by my Mom. We generally serve Chole with Roti or Parantha, or Kulcha in India. I prefer Roti and Chole.