CHANA MASALA RECIPE WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS | HOW TO DO PUNJABI CHOLE | CHOLE RECIPE WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS
Punjabi Chole Masala / Chana Masala is a spicy curry from chickpeas , cooked North Indian style . It’s easy , super tasty and one of the most famous staple Indian curry . Tastes amazingly delicious with bhatura , poori , naan , roti etc . Hot hot poori chole.. yum !! Match made in heaven .. family favorite – any day !
You can try some of my other favorite Indian Curries too – Dum Aloo , Rajma , Paneer Butter Masala , Methi Malai , South indian Style Channa Masala etc
WHAT IS CHOLE MASALA ?
Chole / Chana is basically chickpeas . In this Punjabi style Chole Masala soaked chickpeas is cooked in a pressure cooker / one pot and later simmered in a onion tomato base with few other spices . One of the most popular currys across India .. be it at home or restaurant or functions , chole is every one’s favorite .
It’s gluten free , It’s protein rich , It’s spicy , its tangy , super tasty and bursting with flavors .. and the best thing , making this restaurant style Chole masala at home is not difficult at all.
FEW POINTS TO NOTE WHILE MAKING CHANA MASALA
- Pick good quality chickpeas and soak them well in adequate water over night or 5-6 hours .
- You can use canned chickpeas too .
- In case you have forgotten to soak chickpeas and want to do chana masala in a hurry, just soak the Chickpeas in hot water , place in a flask or hot case for about an hour or two
- Cook chickpeas nicely such that they are soft yet frim . they should hold shape but when pressed soft .
- Addition of a tea bag while cooking adds beautiful dark color to the Punjabi Chole. In case , you don’t add tea bag , you can add 2-3 piece of dried amla pieces . Adds nice deep color . This step is purely optional , you can skip in case you don’t have either . The taste will be the same but. the color of the ready curry will be lighter.
- Addition of few extra spices while cooking the chick peas , adds an extra flavor.
- Sauteing onion tomato nicely till they change color and start leaving oil is the most important step in this recipe. Do not get lazy and opt cut short method here . Spoils the taste .
- You can either use home made Chana masala powder or use ready made from store . I usually use Everest , MDH , Badshah , Shan .
- Also do not skip kasoori methi . Adds such a distinct taste .
- Mash few of the chick peas in the curry with the help of a laddle . this gives a nice texture to the curry .
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS FOR CHANA MASALA :
Soak white channa / kabuli chana over night / 5-6 hours .
Later , drain and transfer the soaked chana into pressure cooker . Add water sufficient enough to cover channa, a pinch of cooking soda , few whole spices ( cloves , elaichi , cinnamon and bay leaf )
Add a tea bag , it gives nice deep color to the chana masala. Instead of tea bag , can add a piece of dried amla. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame. The chana should be well cooked , yet should hold shape. When pressed it should be soft.
In a kadai , take oil + butter. When it’s hot , add pinch of hing , tsp of jeera , bay leaf and 1-2 slit green chillies. Saute for a min.
Add 1-2 big Onion coarse paste / Finely chopped , 1-1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste , saute till raw smell goes .
Once raw smell from onion has gone , add 2-3 pureed Tomatoes , salt and saute nicely till tomatoes are nicely cooked and color changes.
Frying Onion Tomato nicely till oil separates is the key .Cover and cook , saute in between.
When onion tomato base is well cooked , starts leaving oil , add all the dry masala one by one. Saute for a minute. I have added here 1/4 tsp Haldi , 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder , 2 tsp Chole Masala , tsp Dhania Powder , 1/2 tsp Jeera Powder , 1/2 tsp Aamchoor powder / Anardhana powder , 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder and tsp Kasoori Methi Powder.
Combine all the masala’s well and saute them for 1-2 mins . This is how a well sauteed onion tomato base looks like.
Now , remove tea bag and add all the cooked choles. Combine everything well.
Add some more water , salt if required and simmer for 5-6 mins. Let channa take in all the flavors.Mash few channas , using a ladle. This gives nice texture to the gravy. Adjust the consistency as per your preference .
Once nicely boiled , add chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy hot Punjabi chole with hot poori . Poori chole , what a classic combo.
Do try this Punjabi Poori chole for sure and enjoy ….
You can top this chana on Aloo tikki too and enjoy as a chaat .
Chana masala / Chole Masala
Ingredients
To Cook Channa
- 1.5 cup Dry Chickpeas
- 1 packet Tea bag
- pinch of Cooking Soda
- 2-3 nos Cloves / lavang
- 2 nos Cardamom / Elaichi
- 1 inch Cinnamon / Dalchini
To temper
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- pinch oh Asafoetida / Hing
- tsp of Cumin Seeds / Jeera
- 1 no Bayleaf / Tejpatta
- 1-2 nos Green Chilli
- 2 medium size Onion
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2-3 medium size Tomato
Dry Masala powders
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric / Haldi
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Chole Masala
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder / Dhania Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder / Jeera Powder
- 1/2 tsp Aamchoor powder
- or
- 1/2 tsp Anardhana powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tsp Kasoori Methi Powder
Other ingredients
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves, Chopped
- water
Instructions
- Soak white channa / kabuli chana over night / 5-6 hours .
- Later , drain and transfer the soaked chana into pressure cooker . Add water sufficient enough to cover channa, a pinch of cooking soda , few whole spices ( cloves , elaichi , cinnamon and bay leaf )
- Add a tea bag , it gives nice deep color to the chana masala. Instead of tea bag , can add a piece of dried amla. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame. The chana should be well cooked , yet should hold shape. When pressed it should be soft.
- In a kadai , take oil + butter. When it's hot , add hing , jeera , bay leaf and slit green chillies. Saute for a min.
- Add Onion coarse paste / Finely chopped , ginger garlic paste , saute till raw smell goes .
- Once raw smell from onion has gone , add pureed Tomatoes , salt and saute nicely till tomatoes are nicely cooked and color changes.
- When onion tomato base is well cooked , starts leaving oil , add all the dry masala one by one. Saute for a minute.
- Combine all the masala's well and saute them for 1-2 mins . This is how a well sauteed onion tomato base looks like.
- Now , remove tea bag and add all the cooked choles. Combine everything well.
- Add some more water , salt if required and simmer for 5-6 mins. Let channa take in all the flavors.Mash few channas , using a ladle. This gives nice texture to the gravy.
- Once nicely boiled , add chopped coriander leaves.
- Enjoy hot Punjabi chole with hot poori . Poori chole , what a classic combo.
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