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Chole Masala Recipe
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Pindi Chole Recipe | Chole Masala Recipe

A richer, spicier version of Chole Masala, a chickpea stew recipe from Northern India.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chana masala, channa masala, chole, chole bhature, chole masala, chole masala recipe, pindi chole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Pakoda Stories

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot
  • 1 Medium Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans skip the dried chickpeas if using canned
  • 3/4 cup Dried Chickpeas skip the canned chickpeas if using dried
  • 1/4 cup Oil

Fresh Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
  • 1 Green Chili slit
  • 1 medium Onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup Tomato Purée
  • 3 cup Water

Amla-Tea Brew

  • 1 tsp Loose Black Tea Leaves
  • 3 Pieces Dried Amla
  • 2 cups Water add more, if required.

Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Asafetida or Hing
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 2 tsp Red Chili Powder 1 tsp in the dish and 1 tsp for garnish
  • 2 tbsp Chole Masala Powder

Garnish

  • 2 tbsp Ghee for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala Powder
  • 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves chopped
  • 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tbsp Onion finely chopped
  • Salt to 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.
  • Use a teabag of the strongest black tea you can find. I prefer Tea India's Orange Pekoe Tea Bags.
  • 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!