Chana masala / Chole Masala
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 .
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.