Masala Chole Authentic Indian Chickpea Gravy Recipe By Tasty Food

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.

INDIAN SPICED CHICKPEA GRAVY (CHOLE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and cover with warm water by 2 inches. Let soak for 12 hours. Transfer soaked chickpeas and their liquid to a pressure cooker. Seal and heat over medium-low heat to low pressure. Cook until chickpeas easily break down, about 25 minutes after they come to pressure. Release pressure and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and Kashmiri chillies. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then grind in a coffee grinder till completely powdered.
• Heat oil in the same pan on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir until the raw smell of the paste disappears, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates, about 10 minutes. Add dry mango powder and green chillies. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the powdered spice blend and stir until fragrant. At this stage, add a few teaspoons of water in case the spices stick to the bottom of the pan as they tend to burn easily. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the boiled chickpeas with the water they were boiled in, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes so that the chickpeas absorb the spices. Garnish with coriander leaves, onion rings and serve with rotis, bhaturas (deep fried bread), or rice.

EASY CHICKPEA CURRY (CHANNA MASALA) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and cook until onion becomes translucent and begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño. Continue to cook over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and jalapeño is tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add garam masala, turmeric, salt, and pepper then continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and water. Stir to incorporate, making sure to use the spoon the scrape off any brown bits that have appeared on the bottom or sides of the pot.
• As the tomatoes break down, the mixture should take on the texture of a thick stew. Add more water if needed before bringing everything to a simmer and then cover with a lid.
• Once covered, cook for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
• Remove lid, reduce heat to low and mix in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Cook over low heat 1-2 minutes until the cilantro has wilted and turned bright green.
• Serve over basmati rice or with a side of naan.
• Enjoy!

CHANA MASALA

Steps:

• Drain the chickpeas, then combine them in a large Dutch oven with the baking soda, bay leaves, black tea bag, black cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. (To pressure cook the chickpeas, see Cook's Note.) Bring the mixture to a boil in a large Dutch oven, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered with a lid, until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly before the chickpeas are tender, pour in an additional 1 cup of water and continue to cook. Discard the tea bag, bay leaves and cardamom. Drain the chickpeas and put them back in the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the ghee and/or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook until the raw smell goes away, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until well cooked and pasty, about 8 minutes. Add the Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend along with 2 tablespoons of water and saute until well mixed and the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spice mixture to the chickpeas with 1 cup of water (see Cook's Note), mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until the curry thickens and coats and infuses the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges or julienned ginger slaw, if desired.
• Combine the whole spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom) in a small heavy skillet (preferably cast iron, if you have it) and roast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often to ensure even roasting, until the spices start getting darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add the powdered spices (pomegranate powder, mango powder, black salt, chile powder, turmeric and asafoetida) and cook, shaking or stirring constantly, until slightly darker, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the spices. Immediately transfer the spices to a bowl and cool. Once cooled, grind the spices. You can double or triple this recipe and keep it in an airtight container for future use.

INSTANT POT CHOLE MASALA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Turn on the Instant pot on Saute mode. Add oil - once heated, add dry spices and roast for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped onions and saute until translucent. Then, add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw aroma disappears.
• Now, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and Chana masala and saute.
• Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Then, add soaked chickpeas and mix well to combine.
• Add salt and water. Close lid, switch to pressure cook mode and cook on high for 20 minutes, leaving the whistle sealed.
• After natural pressure release, open the lid, switch to normal mode, and add garam masala powder. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving dish and mix with ghee. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
• Serve alongside rotis or rice.

CHANA MASALA (SAVORY INDIAN CHICK PEAS)

Steps:

• Grind onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and chile pepper together in a food processor into a paste.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the paste into the skillet and cook until the oil begins to separate from the mixture and is golden brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with chili powder, coriander, powder, gram masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir enough water into the mixture to get a thick gravy; bring to a boil and stir chickpeas into the gravy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.