Chole is a side dish made with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and spicy masalas. This dish can be enjoyed with rice, roti or naan.
Add garbanzo beans, hot water and a tea bag to a slow cooker 
Remove tea bag after 1 hour and cook until beans are tender 
Dry roast ingredients until fragrant and then grind 
Add green chillies and grated ginger after the cumin seeds sizzle 
Add chopped onions and saute 
Add pureed tomatoes 
Add spice powders and mix 
Cook for 2 minutes 
Add cooked chickpeas 
Add anardhana powder and kasuri methi 
Cook on medium heat 
Chole
Chole is a side dish made with chickpeas or Garbanzo beans and spicy masalas. This dish can be enjoyed with rice, roti or naan.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1 tea bag
- 3 cups hot water
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tomatoes (pureed)
- 4 green chilies (slit in half)
- 1 tsp grated ginger (or ginger paste)
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp anardhana powder (pomegranate powder)
- 2 tsp kasuri methi
- salt to taste
For Masala Powder:
- 3 dry red chilies
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Add washed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and a tea bag to a slow cooker.
- Then, add 3 cups of hot water to the cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Remove the tea bag after 1 hour. The tea bag is used to give a nice color to the beans.
- After 4 hours, check if the beans are tender. If not, cook for a few more minutes. Once cooked, set aside.
- Add all ingredients under "For Masala Powder" to a pan. Dry roast until fragrant and remove from flame.
- Using a blender, grind the roasted ingredients into a fine powder. Set aside.
- Add oil to a pan. Once hot, add cumin seeds, cinnamon and a bay leaf.
- Once cumin seeds sizzle, add grated ginger and green chilies. Saute for 10 seconds and add the chopped onions. Saute until the raw smell fades.
- Then, add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder and 2 tbsp of the freshy ground masala powder. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the beans and water from the slow cooker to the pan. Mix well.
- Next, add anardhana powder, kasuri methi and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding water as needed.
- Use a masher to mash a few beans to make the gravy thick. Check for salt and spice and adjust as needed.
- Cook until the beans absorb the masalas and the gravy is thick.
- Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.
Notes
How to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker:
- Soak 1 cup of chickpeas overnight or for 8 hours
- Add the chickpeas to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water
- Cook for 4-5 whistles and let the pressure release naturally
- Check to make sure to chickpeas are cooked, They should be tender, if not cook for 1-2 more whistles.
- See below for additional varieties or sides that go well with this dish.
