Punjabi Chole (Chana Masala)

Ingredients (Serves 3):

1  cup Chick Peas (Kabuli Chana/Chole)

1 Tea Bag

1 Large Onion (finely Chopped)

½ cup Tomato Puree

½ tbs Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 Bay leaves

2 dry red chilli cut in half

1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/8 tsp Clove powder

1 tsp Cumin powder (Jeera)

1 tsp Asafoetida

1 tbs Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 tbs Chole masala

1/4 tsp soda bicarbonate

2 tbs + 1 tsp cooking oil

Salt – to taste

Pre-Preparation:

1. Soak Chick Peas in water overnight (atleast 6 hours)

Preparation:

1. Take 2.5 cup water in a pressure cooker. Add soaked chick peas, tea bag, 1 tsp of oil and ½ tsp salt. Mix and cook for 5 whistles.
2. Switch off the gas and let the cooker cool down
3. Open the pressure cooker and check if chole is done perfectly.(Discard the tea bag from it) It will be dark brown in color because of tea bag. (Don’t throw this water. You can use this water later on to get nice color.)
4. Take 2 tbs oil in a pan. Heat it on medium to high flame.
5. add bay leaves, dry red chilli, cinnamon powder, clove powder, and asafoetida and stir well.
6. Add onions and cook until nice golden brown.
7. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 1 min
8. Now add tomato puree and cook it for another 1 min
9. Add cumin powder, corriander powder, garam masala, chole masala and salt to taste
10. Now cook for 2-3 mins with lid on. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
11. add ½ cup water we kept aside in step 3. Add more water if you like more gravy. Cook for 4 -5 mins.
12. Now keeping ¼ cup of chole aside, add rest of the chole into the pan. Stir and let it cook for 5 mins with lid on
13. Meanwhile mash the 1/4 cup chole and then add them to pan. It will help to thicken the gravy.
14. Cook chole for 10 min on low flame
15. Chole is now ready to eat. Enjoy with puri, bhathura, paratha or rice.

Note:

Tea Bag is added to get nice brown color which is the actual color of Punjabi Chole.