Chole Tangy Chickpeas With Tomatoes And Black Tea Recipes

CHANA MASALA | CHOLE RECIPE | PUNJABI CHOLE MASALA

Steps:

• Rinse the chickpeas a couple of times in fresh water. Then soak them in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Add enough amount of water as the chickpeas increase in size after soaking it. Later drain the water and again rinse the soaked chickpeas with fresh water.
• To give a dark color to the chickpeas, traditionally dried amla (Indian gooseberries) are added. These also give a faint sourness to the stock. If you do not have dried amla, then add 1 black tea bag.
• In a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker add the chickpeas along with the 3 to 4 dried amla pieces or 1 black tea bag. Taj tea bags work very well. Then add water.
• Season with salt and pressure cook the chickpeas for 12 to 15 whistles on medium heat. The chickpeas should be cooked well and softened. The chickpeas should be soft when you mash it with a spoon or eat it. The chickpeas should not give you a bite when you eat it.
• In a pan, take all the whole spices for the "chole masala powder" mentioned above and on a low heat begin to roast them.
• Stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. Don't burn them. You have to go beyond a point roasting them even after they become fragrant and they get more browned than what is the norm usually.
• Let these roasted spices cool and then grind or powder them finely in a coffee grinder or in a dry grinder.
• By now the chana will be cooked. You will see a darker brown shade in the safed (white chana). Remove the amla pieces which would have softened by now or the tea bag from the stock.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few seconds or till their raw aroma goes away.
• Then add chopped onions and saute stirring often till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
• Add tomatoes and saute stirring often till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the onion and tomato mixture.
• Lower the heat and then add all of the powdered chole masala that we ground, together with the red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder (optional).
• Stir and mix the dry ground spices and then add slit green chilies
• Add the cooked chickpeas. Mix well.
• Add salt according to taste. Then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chickpeas was cooked. You can also add water instead.
• Stir and cover the pan with a lid.
• Simmer on a low to medium heat. You can also cook the chana masala without the lid.
• The gravy will thicken and reduce. Mash a few chickpeas as this helps in thickening the gravy.
• Simmer till you get the consistency you prefer. The consistency of this curry is not thin, but medium consistency or semi-dry. For thick or semi-dry consistency add less water.
• If you have not added dry pomegranate seeds while roasting the spices, then you need to add amchur powder (dry mango powder) now. Mix and stir well.
• Serve the Punjabi chana masala with kulcha, bhatura, poori, roti, naan, bread with a side of sliced onions, tomatoes and lemon or lime wedges.
• While serving garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
• This Chole Masala also tastes good with steamed rice or jeera rice or saffron rice.

CHOLE (TANGY CHICKPEAS WITH TOMATOES AND BLACK TEA)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the methi, coriander, chile powder, cumin, amchur, fennel seeds, cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon hing, cloves and cayenne, if using.
• Warm ¼ cup oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the ginger and garlic pastes and the green chiles, and stir to combine. Add the spice mixture and stir to combine into a fragrant paste, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tea and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chickpeas and tomato sauce. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a very low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and slightly darkened in color and the flavors have mellowed slightly.
• In a small saucepan or skillet, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the julienned ginger and a generous pinch of hing, and cook, swirling the pan, until the ginger sizzles and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir the mixture into the chickpeas. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Top with cilantro and serve with flatbreads.