Chola Chana Masala Spicy Chickpeas Recipes

CHANA MASALA | CHOLE RECIPE | PUNJABI CHOLE MASALA

Steps:

• Rinse the chickpeas a couple of times in fresh water. Then soak them in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Add enough amount of water as the chickpeas increase in size after soaking it. Later drain the water and again rinse the soaked chickpeas with fresh water.
• To give a dark color to the chickpeas, traditionally dried amla (Indian gooseberries) are added. These also give a faint sourness to the stock. If you do not have dried amla, then add 1 black tea bag.
• In a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker add the chickpeas along with the 3 to 4 dried amla pieces or 1 black tea bag. Taj tea bags work very well. Then add water.
• Season with salt and pressure cook the chickpeas for 12 to 15 whistles on medium heat. The chickpeas should be cooked well and softened. The chickpeas should be soft when you mash it with a spoon or eat it. The chickpeas should not give you a bite when you eat it.
• In a pan, take all the whole spices for the "chole masala powder" mentioned above and on a low heat begin to roast them.
• Stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. Don't burn them. You have to go beyond a point roasting them even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually.
• Let these roasted spices cool and then grind or powder them finely in a coffee grinder or in a dry grinder.
• By now the chana will be cooked. You will see a darker brown shade in the safed (white chana). Remove the amla pieces which would have softened by now or the tea bag from the stock.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few seconds or till their raw aroma goes away.
• Then add chopped onions and saute stirring often till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
• Add tomatoes and saute stirring often till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the onion and tomato mixture.
• Lower the heat and then add all of the powdered chole masala that we ground, together with the red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder (optional).
• Stir and mix the dry ground spices and then add slit green chilies
• Add the cooked chickpeas. Mix well.
• Add salt according to taste. Then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chickpeas was cooked. You can also add water instead.
• Stir and cover the pan with a lid.
• Simmer on a low to medium heat. You can also cook the chana masala without the lid.
• The gravy will thicken and reduce. Mash a few chickpeas as this helps in thickening the gravy.
• Simmer till you get the consistency you prefer. The consistency of this curry is not thin, but medium consistency or semi-dry. For thick or semi-dry consistency add less water.
• If you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while roasting the spices, then you need to add amchur powder (dry mango powder) now. Mix and stir well.
• Serve the Punjabi chana masala with kulcha, bhatura, poori, roti, naan, bread with a side of sliced onions, tomatoes and lemon or lime wedges.
• While serving garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
• This Chole Masala also tastes good with steamed rice or jeera rice or saffron rice.

CHOLA CHANA MASALA, SPICY CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Drain chickpeas and wash well.
• Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away, oil is ready. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.
• Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and red chili powder. Cook about four minutes on medium heat. The tomato mixture will separate from the oil and reduce to about half in quantity.
• Add chickpeas, salt, and one cup of water. Cook, covered, for seven to eight minutes on medium heat. Press the chickpeas with a spatula to soften. Add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking, and let it cook on low heat a few more minutes.
• Add the garam masala and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.
• Garnish with thin tomato slices.

SPICY CHANNA MASALA / SPICY CHOLE

Steps:

• Chop the onions, green chillies and tomato.
• Soak the chick peas in water for 6 hrs or overnight, rinse it and cook it with salt and the tea bags.
• If using canned chickpeas, drain the liquid, rinse it, add 1 cup of water and 2 teabags and cook it in low heat till the chick peas gets the tea flavor and colour.
• Roast and grind the first seven spices.
• Combine the above ground spices with coriander powder, mango / amchur powder and chilli powder.
• Add 1 tbs of oil in a pan and stir in the combined spices and cook in low heat for few minutes. Remove from stove and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, fry the onions and green chillies till the onion turnes soft golden brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for few minutes, add the tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are soft.
• Take 3 tbs of the cooked channa and the cooked onion mixture and grind it to a fine paste.
• Combine the cooked channa, the ground spices, ground channa and onion mix and the fried onion and green chilli, If the channa masala is dry, add 1/2 cup of water.
• Cover the pan and reduce the heat and let it simmer till the oil separates and the raw smell no longer remains.
• Transfer the chole to a serving bowl and garnish with onion, coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Enjoy it with baturas and poories.