Chole Masala (Chickpeas Indian Curry)

How to prepare Chana Masala in  Punjabi Style | Delicious Spicy Chickpeas Indian Curry | Garbanzo Beans in Spicy Indian Gravy | Channa Masala | Sindhi Style Chhole Masala | Restaurant Style Chole masala 

Chole masala or Channa masala is a very popular and delicious Punjabi dish in Indian cuisine. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Curry not only tastes good it is packed with healthy components. This recipe of chole masala is cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and with a whole bunch of spices. But main spices which give a distinctive taste in this recipe are coriander seeds and cloves.

When I was in school, this was one food which was religiously cooked in our house on every Sunday. 

My recipe is simplified version of Channa masala, The uniqueness in this recipe is that it is cooked with basic and minimum ingredients, but it tastes awesome. 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you must be knowing my focus is always on cooking techniques. I believe in simplicity and my first priority is to keep the natural flavors intact. I'm very sure you will enjoy my this recipe too.. 

Let's start with a recipe: 

✏Recipe details

• Category: Vegetarian
• Course: Main Course
• Cuisine: Indian
• Technique: Pressure Cooking and Sauteing
• Difficulty: Medium
• Serving: 2-3
• Soaking Time : overnight or 7-8 hours
• Preparation Time: 10-12 minutes
• Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

✏Ingredients required

• 150g Kabuli Channa (chickpeas/ Garbanzo Beans)
• 2-3 medium size onions
• 2-3 medium size tomatoes
• 1tbsp tamarind paste
• 1tbsp cooking oil
• 1tsp turmeric
• 2tsp red chilly powder
• 1tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of Garam masala powder (optional or as per taste)

✏Other ingredients

For making coarse paste

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 5 cloves (Laung / Lavung)
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 2-3 green chilies (or as per taste)

✏ Step by step process of making chole masala curry

Step 1: Wash and Soak Overnight

◾Wash and soak the channa in fresh water for about 6-8 hours or for overnight.

Rinsed and soaked chickpeas

Step 2: Pressure Cooking

◾Rinse and drain off the water from channa.

◾Take pressure cooker, add  channa and enough water to cover it. In that add salt and 1tsp cooking oil. Pressure cook, allow 3 whistles, and then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool down naturally, Remove channa in bowl, keep aside. Don't throw the stock, we will use it in our curry preparation.

Before pressure cooking - kabuli channa

After - boiled kabuli channa

How to check whether chana is cooked or not:
Physical appearance will give you a clear picture, but you can also check by eating one chickpea, or squeeze it in your finger tips or with a help of a spoon. The Channa should be tender - properly cooked but not mushy. (75-80% cooked chana is best as it is prepared in two stages, first pressure cooking and second at the time of making gravy)

Note: About salt in this recipe
Salt is added in two stages in this recipe, first at the time of pressure cooking and second when we will prepare gravy, so please take good care in adding salt in this recipe. 

Step 3: Mise en place

◾Peel the onions and chop them finely.

◾ Wash the tomatoes and finely chop or puree it.

◾ Make a coarse paste of ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns and coriander seeds.

ingredients used for chole masala

Coarse Paste for channa masala

Step 4: Curry preparation

◾Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions, sauté them on high flame until golden brownish.

◾Add tomato puree, cook on high flame for 2-3 minutes.

◾Add coarse paste, mix well, cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes until water evaporates. .

◾Add dry ingredients i.e. turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and salt to taste, mix and saute for a min.

◾Now its time to add pressure cooked chole, saute for a min or two.

◾Add tamarind paste and stock mix well. Let it gets cooked on low flame for 5-7 minutes till the gravy thickens and have smooth and creamy consistency. 

◾Finally add pinch of garam masala powder. Our chole curry is ready to dish out. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and onion rings. Serve with pipping hot puris, rooti, kulchas, bhaturas or even with steamed rice.