Chole Recipe without using Chole Masala Powder/ Kabuli Chana Recipe

Chole is also called Kabuli Chana/ Chickpeas in some regions of India. This recipe is originated in the Indian subcontinent, later in North India it became the part of Indian daily diet.

Chole is mostly prepared in North India. It can be cooked with onion, tomato gravy, or you can eat boiled also. Chole is generally cooking with spicy, sour, citrus, and bit of sweet taste.

Chole Recipe without using Chole Masala Powder/ Kabuli Chana Recipe:

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Servings:  2-3 people

We need to cook Chole Recipe in 3 steps:

• Soaking
• Pressure cook Chole
• Cooking Chole Recipe

1. Soaking: Wash the 1 cup raw Chole/Kabuli Chana. Soak it for 7-8 hrs or overnight in lots of water.

2. Pressure cook Chole: Discard the Chole's soaked water. Take the pressure cooker, add soaked Chole to it.

Then add (Ingredients):

• Cinnamon stick: 2-3" long (1)
  (dalchini)
• Black Cardamom(Badi elaichi):  1
• Water: 4-5 cups
• Cooking Soda: 1/2 tsp
• Teabags (optional): 2 (if you want to give chole dark brown color)

Now cover the pressure cooker and take 4 whistles on medium-high flame. Switch off the flame, strain the Chole, and keep it aside. Discard (tea bags), Dalchini and Badi elaichi from it.

How to Check the cooked Chole: take 2-3 Chole in a spoon, press it with a spoon, it should be pressed easily and should be soft (not mushy) as shown in the image. 

3. Cooking Chola's Gravy : (1 cup = 200ml)

Ingredients:

• Roughly chopped onions: 1/2 cup
• Tomato Puree: 1 cup
• Paste (Ginger, Garlic, Coriander): 3-3.5 tsp
• Ghee: 1 tbsp
• Oil: 5 tbsp
• Bayleaf (tejpatta): 2
• Star anise: 2
• Mustard seeds (Rai): 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera): 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder (Haldi): 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder (Lal Mirch): 2 tsp
• Coriander powder (Dhania): 2 tsp
• Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin (Jeera) Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing): 1/4 tsp
• Sugar: 2 tsp
• Salt: As per taste
• Lemon juice: 1/2 lemon
• Water: 2 cups
• Freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

Step 1:
Take a kadhai, heat some oil. Add rai; when rai starts to splutter, add jeera, bay leaf, star anise, and hing and give it a good mix. 

Step 2:
Now add Ginger, Garlic & Coriander paste to it and cook for 1 min. Now add chopped onions and cook it for 3-4 mins till it becomes pink and translucent. 

Step 3:
Now add tomato puree, haldi, lal Mirch powder, dhania powder, and salt. 

Mix it well and cook on medium flame till it separates the oil from the corner. 

Step 4: 
Now add water and boiled chole to the gravy, mix well and cover the lid of the kadhai. Cook for at least 5-8 mins on low-medium flame. Now add garam masala, jeera powder. Mix well. Cook for 3-4 mins with cover lid on low-medium flame.

Step 5: 
Now add lemon juice, sugar and adjust the salt. Now add freshly chopped coriander leaves to the Chole Masala.

Serve hot.

Notes:

1. If you don't prefer to add cooking soda to the Chole masala, then pressure cook the chole till 5-6 whistles.
2. You can cook the gravy in butter/ghee also as it enhances the taste of Chole masala.
3. In Chole masala, Cooking time is very important. Always give sufficient time to cook gravy till it becomes aromatic  (cook on low-medium flame).
4. Chole Recipe/ Kabuli Chana Recipe best served hot and you can pair it with Ghee Jeera Rice/ Bhatura/ Kulcha/ Butter naan.

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