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Pindi Chole

A simple, healthy and flavourful Punjabi-style chickpea curry made with lightly spiced chickpeas. Easy enough for beginners, rich in protein and fibre, and great with roti, bhatura or rice.
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Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi
Calories: 306
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) soaked overnight
  • 2 tea bags black tea bags for colour and flavour
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf tej patta
  • 3 pods cardamom
  • 4 cloves lavang
  • 0.25 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt (for boiling)
  • 3 cup water (for boiling chickpeas)
  • Chana masala spice mix store-bought or homemade (cumin, coriander seeds, red chilli, turmeric, dry mango/amchur powder, dry fenugreek leaves etc.)
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 green chilli, slit optional
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 0.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
  • 1 tbsp ghee for tempering (optional)
  • 1 slit red chilli (for tempering) optional
  • 1 inch ginger, julienne (for tempering) optional
  • 0.25 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for tempering) optional

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker or large pot

Method
 

  1. Rinse the dried chickpeas well and soak them overnight (at least 8 hours).
  2. After soaking, drain water. In a pressure cooker (or large pot), add chickpeas, tea bags, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, salt and 3 cups water. Pressure cook for 5 whistles (or until chickpeas are soft). Once done, discard tea bags and keep cooked chickpeas aside. Reserve half a cup cooking water.
  3. In a heavy pan/kadai, heat 3 tsp oil. Add chopped onion and saute until golden brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilli (if using), and sauté for a minute.
  4. Add the chana masala spice mix (about 2–3 tsp or to taste) and sauté on low flame for a minute until aromatic.
  5. Add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes turn soft and oil starts to separate from the masala.
  6. Add the cooked chickpeas, sprinkle salt (about ½ tsp or as per taste), pour some reserved cooking water (or plain water) to adjust consistency, mix gently, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes on low flame so that flavours blend well.
  7. If you like richer taste, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan, add slit red chilli, julienne ginger and ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, sauté lightly (do not burn) and pour this tempering over the chole.
  8. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Serve hot with roti, bhatura, naan or rice.

Notes

Soaking chickpeas overnight ensures they cook evenly and soften well. Tea bags or a small piece of dried amla/black tea leaves help give the characteristic dark brown colour. Adjust spice level as per taste. Leftover chole tastes better the next day as flavours deepen.