Pindi Chole

Turns out you can do a lot with chickpeas, rather than making Ghughni. Well...its generally yellow peas which are used to make ghughni, but chickpeas do a descent job too, if you are not in a position to acquire that particular pulse. It was only after I came to Abidjan that I started to make Chole Masala more often that I have ever eaten in home. It’s spicy and goes pretty much well with rice and chapatti, both. Make a plain raita and it’s an easy lunch.

Pindi Chole is different from the other chole masalas. It does not contain any onion or tomato based gravy. It’s more on the drier side and has a very spicy masala coating the chickpeas. And since we both love chickpeas, after months of eating chole bhature in the same style...I thought to give it a try.

Heat oil and add turneric powder and red chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes or until the oil separated and then add the minced ginger. Saute for another minute.

Add aamchur powder and chole masala. Mix well.

Add the boiled chickpeas with its water.

Cook for 10 minutes or until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to float on top of the curry. Finish off with lime juice, black salt and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

It came out pretty good. Spicy, tangy and dark in colour. You can skip the tea bag if you want. But in that case the curry will be more of yellow or reddish colour, rather than being dark.

Pindi Chole

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2 cups of chickpeas

1 unflavoured tea bag

1 tsp baking soda

2 bay leaves

1 small cinnamon stick

2 green cardamoms

3 cloves

2 tsp turmeric powder

3-4 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp ground dry roasted cumin

1 tsp ground dry roasted coriander

1 inch ginger – minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp aamchur / raw mango powder

A pinch of black salt

1 tbsp chole masala

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

2-3 green chillies – slit

Salt

¼ th cup of oil

 Chole Masala:

1 tsp caraway seeds

2 green cradamoms

1 medium cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom

3-4 cloves

8-10 black peppercorns

5-6 white peppercorns

¼ tsp pomegranate seeds

1 blade of mace

A little piece of nutmeg

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tsp whole coriander seeds

2 dry red chillies

½ tsp carom seeds

Method:

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight.

Drain the water and put those soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker.

Add in 3 cups of water, salt, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, tea bag and some salt.

Pressure cook the chickpeas until the cooker blows 2 whistles.

Put off the flame and wait until the steam escapes.

Throw away the tea bag and keep the chickpeas with its water aside.

Dry roast the ingredients listed under the chole masala for 1 minute on medium flame and ground them into a fine powder. Keep them in an air-tight container and use accordingly.

Heat the oil in a kadai / pan and add the rest of the turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Add a dash of water and cook the spices. Stir and cook the spices continuously, until you see the oil separating at the edges.

Add the minced ginger and give a good mix. Saute for some seconds and add the chole masala and raw mango / aamchur powder.

 Mix them well and cook for some seconds.

Now pour in the boiled chickpeas along with its water.

Put cover and let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes allowing the chickpeas to absorb all the flavours.

Open the lid and simmer until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to float on top of the curry.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Drizzle the lime juice and sprinkle the black salt.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Mix well.

Put off the flame and serve hot with rice / puri / chapatti.