Punjabi Chola
March 10th, 2008 filed under Dal (Lentils), Vegan
Punjabi cholas are the best compliment with baturas. The combination is known as chola battura. This is a mouth-watering dish.
Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chickpeas (Garbanzo beans, Kabuli chana)
- 2 tea bags
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tablespoon basen (Gram flour)
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 green chili
- 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to the taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon amchoor (Mango powder)
For garnish:
- 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
- 1 green chili sliced long ways
Method:
- Boil 5 cups of water with tea bags; after tea comes to boil turn down the heat to medium low.
- Let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes. Take out the tea bags and keep aside.
- Wash chickpeas well and soak in tea water for about 8 hours. Chickpeas after soaking will become about 2 1/2 times the volume of the original.
- In pressure cooker add chickpeas with the water they were soaked in, plus 2 more cups of water. Close the cooker and put the pressure on.
- Cook on medium high heat.
- As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker. Chickpeas should be soft and tender.
- Blend the tomatoes, ginger and green chili to make paste.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready. Add cumin seeds, and as the cumin seeds crack add basen stir-fry until basen is light gold brown.
- Next add tomato paste, coriander powder, and black pepper. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is separating from the mixture and tomato mixture should be about half in volume.
- Add spice mix, salt, garam masala, and mango powder to chickpeas.
- While mixing, lightly mash the chickpeas. Adjust salt, pepper, and sourness to your taste.
- Cook on medium high heat. After cholas come to boil lower the heat to medium low and put the lid on.
- Cholas are ready to eat in as little as ten minutes, but for best taste let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 or 6 minutes.
- Garnish cholas with shredded ginger and sliced green chili.
Hi aunty,
I wanted to know do you drain the chana water used for boiling or use it in sabji.
Neha,
Use the water used for boiling the chana.
Hi Aunty,
Should I use dry chickpeas or canned for this recipe?
I love your recipes–i never cooked Indian food before! All my friends are amazed.
Thanks,
Matt
Matt,
Dry chickpeas after soaking and boiling works the best but canned chickpeas will work.
Thanx . wonderful. I have always used onions but 2day i realised this recipe is delicious without onion paste.
Manjulaji Tusi great Ho .
I have heard that anardana can be used instead of tea bags. What is the process?
What is your take on using tomato puree in sabji’s. Is it healthy, and can be used frequently?
Hi Aunty,
You are simply great!
I just realised you don’t use onion, garlic in any of your recipes. I don’t have to rush to grocery store to try your any recipe.
Good for our generation
hi aunty,
If we don’t have tea bags..what else we can put in water in the replacement of tea bags to bring the dark colour?
while boiling the chole after soaking, put one aawla (gooseberry) in the cooker and boil. after boiling finishes, mash the aawla and mix in the chana, taking out the seed of the aawla
Hi Aunty
Why do we use tea bags and cook in tea water?
The reason why chickpeas are cooked in tea water is to give them a darker colour when cooked.
Hello Manjula aunty,
I am a big follower of your reciepes. Any reciepe I make at home is an instant hit with my family members be it punjabi chole or paneer. Your reciepes have come to my rescue all the time. Never took time out to leave a nice comment before but I want to give my heartfelt thanks to you.
Hello Manjulaji,
Your recipe looks amazing, will definitely try this out. Is there a way to make the more curry, though? Thank you.
hi Aunty,
why u used besan?
Tina,
Basen gives a nice texture and provide thickness to gravy.