Punjabi choles are the best compliment with baturas. The combination is known as chole 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 choles come to boil lower the heat to medium low and put the lid on.
- Choles 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 choles with shredded ginger and sliced green chili.
Manjula. U say in your video to put ginger with Chanas and boil them. But in the recipe you say you make a paste with ginger , tomatoes and Chile. There’s no mention about boiling Chanas with ginger
Romi sorry, it can be done ether way
Hi, Manjula
Do I need to drain the liquid after pressure cooked chickpeas? Or Do I use the liquid as well?
Thanks!
SK use the liquid also in cooking
Thank u manjula ji for the recipe I tried it , its really yummy…
I like all recipes presented by manjula Ji. Very very delicious and healthy.
Where besan is used in the recipe.
Mini, check this step nine
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.
I think besan is being used for greavy.
Manjulaji,
Do I need to wait for the hot tea water to cool down? Or is it ok to soak the channas in hot tea water?
Thank you.
S, you can soak chana in hot water
I tried the chola recipe a couple of times and loved it. Thanks a lot
What is spice mix in this this recipe?
Ruchika jain, all the ingredients are their is no other spice mix
There is no onion used in chole…has it been omitted? Or not needed…..thanks
Reshma, not needed
Why do we use tea bags in the recipe?
Good morning,
What kind of tea bags should be use for this recipe?
Thanks.
Veronica, any black tea bag will work I use lipton
The written recipe says to add two more cups of water to the soaked chickpeas before pressurecooking them, while the video doesn’t show you doing that. Which is the better way?
Hi Manjula,
My husband and I loved the chole. I had used some onion as well and had roasted besan separately. I have a doubt regarding the bhature recipe though. I had used your bhatura recipe but the bhature seem to be a little dry as compared to what we eat at various outlets. Could you suggest some way to improve that?
Jasdeep
Jasdeep,
Bhatura should not be dry, may be dough was not fermented
Hi Manjula,
I had left the mixture for overnight fermentation and the dough once prepared for 3 hours. Bhatura’s were fluffy and soft (I am assuming due to fermentation), but slightly dry.
Hi – Can I cook this recipe on the stove top or a slow cooker…I do not have a pressure cooker? Thanks. A friend brought this to a party and we all LOVED it and would love to make it also!
Christine,
Try slow cooker
For slow cooker cooking do we still need to soak for 8 hours. Also how do you cook from step 9 onwards.
Can we add the tadka, fry onions / tomatoes and then add the cholle and cook in slow cooker for 7-8 hrs. do it sepratelt in diff pan and then add in slow cooker and the add cholle?
Pl help.
hello maam,
I tried punjabi chole recipe.My hubby just loved it.Waiting to try most of your recipes.Thanks you so much for uploading such a lovely dish.Maam, If you have know any south indian gravy type dishes please could you upload it:).
Regrads,
Shruthi
hi,there can you tell me how long can i keep the bahture because i want to cook them day before the party thanks.
Jas, Of course Battura taste best when they are hot right from frying pan but they still taste great if you have made them 2-3 days before and heat them over skillet or in oven.
I made this for a friend’s dinner party and I couldn’t stop eating it!! Best channa I’ve ever tasted. I didn’t use the teabags and it was still delicious.
BESAN DALNE SE KYA HOTA HAI
Anuja,
Besan gives a thickneass to gravey and nice texture.
Hi Aunty,
Can we follow the same recipe with black channa instead? Let me know. Thanks!
Dear Manjula Aunty….thanks for the yummy chole recipe.
I really enjoy your recipes.
Thanks again
Bindu
Hi Manjula. I enjoy your recipes, but I did not see an explanation for adding tea bags to the water. Is it for a darker color to the chole?
Thanks.
Hi Manjula Aunty,
I tried your punjabi chole recipe and its the best chane I ever tasted. Thank you so much again. Your recipes and the way you present it, are magical. I am a big fan of you.
Love you so much Aunty.
Zareen