My mother is undoubtedly a great influence on my cooking journey. She is a superwoman who has so many food tricks up her sleeve! The kitchen habits she practices are efficiency in time management and optimal utilization of resources in the kitchen. She is also good at sneaking vegetables into food, using up leftovers, and cooking within a budget without any wastage.
Every week, she would make a huge batch of idli batter, enough to feed our family of 4. The idli batter is made of rice and a specific type of lentil known as urad dal. The urad dal gives the batter a fluffiness akin to egg whites in a recipe. The lighter, fluffier combination of the urad dal with some rice batter floats around at the top. The heavier and denser rice batter settles at the bottom.
No Wastage!
My mother makes the versatile idlis for breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the first half of the week. Pair the idlis with coconut chutneys and a spicy vegetable sambar for a sumptuous meal. After the first couple of days, the batter becomes denser as we skim the lighter urad-rice batter off the top for making idlis. This batter is perfect for making dosas. You can make dosas with the dense batter for the next couple of days. The final bit of leftover batter becomes so thick that it can neither make a good dosa or good idli on its own. My mother uses this batter to make an easy, quick pancake recipe called Uthappam.
South Indian Pizzas!
The Uthappam is like a pizza made using idli/dosa batter. You can put any toppings you want on it and it becomes whatever you want it to be! It is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make this Uthappam in a dollar pancake pan and watch your kids get super excited about their meals. My favorite version is a podi uthappam which is made with veggies and a special spice powder made of lentils, chilies, and sesame seeds. Lace the uthappam with a touch of ghee to lift the flavors of the vegetables and the spices!
Learn to make idli batter at home
You can make this Uthappam with fresh idli batter as well! Check out my recipe on how to make a basic idli batter. Or you can always head to a nearby Indian grocer and pick up a tub of idli batter.
Here’s an inspired version of Kunal Kapoor’s inferno-esque yet super deliciousPindi Chole recipe! This Chole Masala recipe is an essential keeper for your recipe book!
A Must-Have Chole Masala Recipe
Chole Masala needs no introduction. This chickpea stew is hands down one of the most popular dishes at Indian restaurants. It is comfort food that transcends many cultures and is easily the go-to weeknight meal for many across the world. Dunk a piece of buttery, greasy-good bhature into a luscious tomato-ey tea-infused chole masala and you’re transported to another world.
The Richer Cousin of Chole Masala
Pindi Chole is a richer, denser, and stronger cousin of the infamous Chole Masala. Many sources believe the name is inspired by the name of the Pakistani city Rawalpindi. I draw inspiration from Kunal Kapoor, one of India’s favorite Punjabi chefs for this recipe. He uses dried amla, a fairly new ingredient to my pantry. His recipe is extremely good but certainly not for the faint-hearted. Made with plenty of chilies like a true Punjabi, his recipe is for brave souls.
My version is not as spicy. I still highly recommend cutting down the chilies and spices if you want a chole masala recipe that is a bit milder. Incidentally, Amla is alkaline in nature much like limes and unlike lemons. I have a classic lime pickle recipe from Tamil Nadu that is a perfect addition to your pantry cabinet this summer!
Why should you add Tea to Chole Masala?
Back in the 90s, my mom’s recipe was a typical Chole Masala recipe that used onions, tomatoes, and a wonderful blend of spices. No amla or chai! Years later, I saw this tip on the internet that mentioned the use of brewed tea in chole recipes. I decided to try this tip out. And lo and behold, tea adds notes of malt and amps up your recipe with a richness that I can’t describe. All you do is brew a cup of strong tea using Assam tea leaves or the strongest black tea leaves that you have. You can even use this tea from Kenya which comes pre-mixed with spices. This adds an extra oomph to your recipe.
Can You Add Dried Amla To Chole Masala?
The answer is YES! The amla adds sourness and brightens up your dish in a way that no lemon, tomato, or tamarind can. It is uniquely sour and smoky in flavor. This is definitely one ingredient that I didn’t know I needed in my Chole recipe until Kunal Kapoor showed me the way! It’s always good to learn this kind of tip and I’m happy to share this with you. After all, good food is really a bunch of tips that have been passed from generation to generation.
How to make Pindi Chole Recipe
There are two ways to make this recipe. One is using dried chickpeas. And the other with canned chickpeas.
Dried Chickpeas – When you use dried chickpeas, there is a certain amount of soaking that needs to be done before you can cook the chickpeas. This is done to break down some of the tough fiber that naturally is present in chickpeas. The softening of the chickpeas also helps cook it faster.
Canned Chickpeas – With canned chickpeas, I drain the liquid from the can and give the chickpeas a quick rinse making sure not to over rinse. This helps retain the nutritional value and it also leaves my mind to rest knowing that slimy water is not in there! (of course, I know this water is great for some recipes)
Baking Soda – Another tip is to add baking soda. Baking soda helps break the chickpea further. This is especially great if your chickpeas are old. Old chickpeas tend to take longer to cook and in some cases are inedible.
1canChickpeas or Garbanzo Beansskip the dried chickpeas if using canned
3/4 cupDried Chickpeasskip the canned chickpeas if using dried
1/4cupOil
Fresh Ingredients
1tbspGingerfinely chopped
2 tbsp Garlicfinely chopped
1Green Chilislit
1mediumOnionfinely chopped
1 cupTomato Purée
3cupWater
Amla-Tea Brew
1tspLoose Black Tea Leaves
3PiecesDried Amla
2cupsWateradd more, if required.
Spices
1/2tspAsafetida or Hing
1/2 tspTurmeric
2tspRed Chili Powder1 tsp in the dish and 1 tsp for garnish
2tbspChole Masala Powder
Garnish
2tbspGheefor garnish
1/2 tspChaat Masala Powder
1/4cupCoriander Leaveschopped
3tbspLemon Juice
2tbspOnionfinely chopped
Saltto taste
1 tsp Baking Soda
Instructions
Soak the Chickpeas
If using dried chickpeas, soak them in a large bowl for 8-12 hours
Make an Amla-Tea Brew
Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot
Add Tea leaves and Amla. Brew for one minute
Cook the Chickpeas
Place your chickpeas, amla-tea brew in an instant pot
Cook for 4 mins on manual pressure if using canned chickpeas.
Cook for 40 mins or bean setting if using dried chickpeas.
Make the Pindi Chole
In a medium saucepan, add oil and 1 tbsp ghee.
When the oil is hot, add the onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Sauté until the onion starts to brown.
Now add your spices – asafetida, turmeric, red chili powder, chole masala, and salt.
Cook for at least 1-2 minutes on medium-low to prevent masalas from tasting raw and bitter.
Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 more mins.
Now add your cooked chickpeas. Adjust consistency by adding more water as needed.
Let this simmer for at least 20- 30 mins. The more you slow cook this, the better.
Make a red chili oil
In a small pan, add the ghee. When the ghee is melted and starting to get hot, add the red chili powder.
When you see the red chili powder instantly bloom, take off the heat and pour over the cooked chickpeas.
Garnish
Garnish the dish with chaat masala, chopped coriander leaves, chopped onions and lemon juice.
Serve with bhature, rotis, any flatbread of your choice or even with plain basmati rice!
Notes
I cook with canned chickpeas just because it is more convenient. The older dried chickpeas get, the harder they are to cook. If you cook frequently with chickpeas, dried chickpeas are the way to go.
Dried Amla is hard to find especially if you live in Western countries. Thank god for Amazon, we get a salted variant of dried amla in smaller chunks. I used these and adjusted the salt accordingly.
I blend 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes in a blender and use the strained puree. Canned tomatoes lend a slightly more acidic profile to the dish. This is a personal preference. I would always prefer the fresh tomatoes over the canned ones. But that’s just my choice! Also, if convenience is the need of the hour, it’s ok and you will still ladle up your bowl with warm and spicy Pindi Chole! Enjoy!
