CHOLE !!!

Who doesn't know Chole ? Is there anybody who doesnt like it ? I love chole - provided its made out of chickpeas (the white ones).

Chole is a typical North Indian dish usually paired with Bhature - a form of deep fried puffed bread. Chole is a mouth watering dish which needs a lot of spices. It takes very less time to prep and cook. You still want more reasons to cook this dish ? The white chickpeas are very healthy and contain loads of iron. So for those with iron deficiencies, this is a blessing in disguise. Try this and you surely wont be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS

For the dish:

White chickpeas - 1 cup soaked (close to 2 cups after soaking)

Potatoes - 2 (cut into cubes)

Onion - 1 small (sliced)

Tomato - 1 small (sliced)

1 tea bag (optional) - gives a slight flavor and darker color to the gravy

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder (if you want your gravy spicier) - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chole masala powder - 2 tbsps

Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Salt as per taste.

For the gravy masala:

Oil - 2 tbsps

Tomatoes - 2 large (diced)

Onions - 2 large (diced)

Garlic - 10 cloves of garlic

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 2 or 3

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2 to 3

For tempering:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 piece

Bay Leaf - 1 or 2

Cloves - 1 or 2

Method:

1. Boil or pressure cook the chickpeas with the tea bag in 2 glasses of water. The chickpeas should be 3/4 cooked but should still be firm. Drain the water. Keep the water aside and keep the chickpeas aside in a bowl to cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Take a pressure cooker pan. Add 2 tbsps of oil. This is for roasting the ingredients for preparing the gravy masala. When its hot, add cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add onions, ginger and garlic. Fry until onions are soft and tender. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add coriander leaves and mix. Don't cook the coriander long, just a couple of seconds. Switch off and keep aside to cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Take a mixie jar and grind the above roasted ingredients to a coarse paste with very little water (use the water from the pressure cooked chickpeas). Add 1 - 2 tbsp of chickpeas (depending on how much gravy you need) along with the masala and grind it all to a fine paste.
4. Take the pan used earlier. Now to start preparing the dish itself. Add 1 tbsp of oil and add the tempering ingredients. Add the sliced onions and cook well until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook well until tomatoes are soft. Add the potatoes and cook for 2 - 3 mins. Then add the boiled chickpeas and fry for a couple of mins. Add the spice powders - chilli, tumeric, salt etc., and mix well. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. After 2 - 3 mins, add the prepared gravy paste and add some chickpea water. Cover the gravy and allow to boil.
6. If the gravy is too thick, add some more water as needed. Add garam masala powder and chole masala powder and mix well. If you want the chickpeas more softer, pressure cook this gravy once more, else keep boiling for another 5 mins. The gravy is done. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. Crush some kasoori methi in your hands and add it to the gravy. Add coriander leaves for garnish and mix well. Chole is ready. Serve it with bhature or rice or simple chapathis, parantha - anything... some people even eat it with toasted bread slices. Its yummy in any way.