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Chole Masala

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Time1 Hr
DifficultyDifficult
Serves2

One of the most popular Indian dishes, chana masala recipe is an authentic Punjabi delicacy! The classic chole masala recipe is made with white chickpeas in a spicy onion-tomato based gravy. Although the Indian chickpea curry originates from Punjab, it is popular all across the country and is prepared in various styles. The authentic chana masala recipe is prepared from overnight soaked white chic ... kpeas or Kabuli chana, freshly ground spices, herbs, onions, and tomatoes. One of the oldest traditional chana recipes, the boiled chickpeas are slow-cooked on a medium heat with the spicy aromatic masala so that all the flavours seep in the curry! Check out our step by step guide on how to make chole masala at home. The recipe gives a perfect balance of taste, flavour and spiciness. Alternatively, you can also make chole masala as a one-pot recipe with all the spices and herbs together in the pressure cooker! There are many varieties of the chole masala recipe like Punjabi chole masala, Amritsari chole, Pindi chole, Palak chole, Aloo chole, Paneer chole, etc. The main ingredient of each recipe is white chickpeas with slight variations in the gravy and spices. This easy restaurant style chana masala tastes awesome and can be served with crispy hot bhaturas, phulkas or parathas, the combinations are many! Chole chawal or chole rice is also an excellent combination. Sprinkle some finely chopped onions, coriander leaves, green chilli, and lemon juice for an extra rich appeal! The North Indian style chole masala recipe is an ideal curry dish that can be served as a main course for lunch or dinner especially if you have guests coming over.

Nutrition Info. (per serving)

ProteinFatCarbsFibre290 Cal290 Cal290 Cal290 Cal
  • 9gProtein
  • 12gFat
  • 36gCarbs
  • 8gFibre

Ingredients

Dry Grocery

Kabuli Chana

Kabuli Chana

0.5 cups

Channa Masala

Channa Masala

1 teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder

Red Chilli Powder

0.5 teaspoons

Turmeric Powder

Turmeric Powder

0.5 teaspoons

Cumin

Cumin

1 teaspoon

Salt

Salt

1 pinch

Refined Oil

Refined Oil

1 tablespoon

Fruits & Vegetables

Tomato

Tomato

2 units

Onion

Onion

1 unit

Coriander Fine Chopped

Coriander Fine Chopped

1 tablespoon

Menu Item

Ginger Garlic Paste

Ginger Garlic Paste

2 teaspoons

Other

Green Chillies

Green Chillies

2 units

Directions
1
Wash and soak chana overnight (at least 8 hours). Pressure cook for 5 whistles on medium flame
2
Puree tomatoes.
3
In a heavy bottom vessel heat oil. Add the cumin seeds and allow it to splatter
4
Add the chopped green chilli, chopped onion and saute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.
5
Add tomato puree to the mixture along with the masalas and saute till oil starts to appear on the edges.
6
Add the boiled Chana, water as required and salt Cover with a lid and cook. Add more water if necessary. The Chana should have a thick gravy and be cooked properly.
7
Check salt and seasoning. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot.
Health benefits of chole masala
Chole chana masala is a delicious and healthy treat that consists of complex carbohydrates. Per serving of chole masala contains approximately 290 calories which come from a balanced combination of carbs, protein, fats, and fibre. The chickpeas in chana masala have a low glycemic index that prevents surge in blood sugar levels and lowers blood pressure. It also contains magnesium, an important mineral that improves insulin sensitivity in the blood, which makes it diabetic-friendly! Kabuli chana is high in fibre, rich in protein, folate, vitamin B9, zinc, and phosphorus which are associated with immense health benefits. The freshly ground spices, onion-tomato paste and herbs enhance the overall nutritional content of this recipe. It is rich in antioxidants, that helps protect against various ailments and also aids in digestion. The one-pot chole masala recipe is quite simple to make and is loaded with many health benefits, so do give it a try!

Success!

We hope you had fun making it! Enjoy the meal.

Why Does This Chole Recipe Work?
Almost everyone who prepares food in North Indian kitchens, especially in Punjab, knows how to make chole masala. Chole recipe, after all, is a speciality of Punjab. The recipe is quick to make, needs a minimal amount of ingredients, and still delivers the authentic taste. Once you learn the basic chole recipe, you can then experiment with ingredients or even the utensils used to make the dish. Some people like to make it in an open pan (with a lid but no pressure used to cook food), others prefer a pressure cooker in their chole recipe as it fastens the process and is easy to handle. Although there are many ways to learn how to make chole, we think that this chole masala recipe is the best. Here is why this chole recipe works the best: 1. Authentic Yet Easy: This is a Punjabi chole recipe which means that your dish will have the classic North Indian flavour. Despite it being authentic, the recipe is very easy. 2. All-done within 30 minutes: A major factor that makes a recipe best is whether it is quick or not. This specific recipe will teach you how to make chole within 30 minutes. 3. Refrigerator Friendly: The dish that you are going to get from this chole masala recipe is freezer friendly. This means it can be your best make-ahead meal if you are expecting some guests. 4. Easily Findable Ingredients: This chole masala recipe uses ingredients that are easily findable in kitchens. Even if they are already not present in your kitchen, you can buy them from the market. Along with learning the main chole recipe, you should also learn a few tips and tricks of the kitchen that can make the process easier. Below down, we have mentioned some tips that will help you with the chole masala recipe. Along with that, we have also jotted down some recipes similar to the Punjabi chole recipe. Give it a thorough read:
Tips For Making Chole
With some quick kitchen tips, you can make the easy chole recipe even easier. Here are some of the tips that will help you make better chole masala with almost zero extra efforts: If you want to reduce the level of spiciness in your chole masala, just make sure that before chopping, you discard all the veins and seeds of the green chillies. If you want to get a milder taste even than that, you can split the green chillies into two halves and then add them to the dish. Discard it while serving. You can also add Kashmiri red chilli powder instead of regular red chilli powder as Kashmiri red chilli powder only leaves a nice colour but isn’t too hot. If you somehow forgot to soak the beans the night before dish preparation, you can use a quick soaking method. Add beans in a pan full of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for at least 2 to 3 minutes. Now, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let the beans cook in hot water for an hour. After that, remove the water and you will get the beans at almost the same stage as you have after soaking them overnight. If the gravy of your chole curry looks too watery, you can reduce it down with this tip. Just turn on the sauté mode and simmer the gravy for 4 to 5 minutes until you get the desired consistency. Or you can take a spatula and mash some chickpeas. This will help in thickening the gravy. However, if you follow the ratio in our chole banane ki recipe, you should get perfect gravy in the first place. If you are using a pressure cooker, just make sure that you never add the chana masala powder before pressure cooking. The powder loses all its aroma and flavour in the pressure cooking. Hence, to save it, always add the chana masala powder after you have cooked the chickpeas in the pressure cooker.
Other Recipes To Try
If you liked chole masala, there are high chances that you will also like some other North Indian dishes. Here are some recipes that you must try the following recipes: Punjabi Chole: Some people think that Punjabi chole and chole masala are the same. But, there are some differences between the two. The former has a dark-brown gravy and tangy flavour while the latter has a reddish-orange curry with rich flavours of onions and tomatoes. Pindi Chole: Another chole recipe that is very famous in Punjab. This recipe finds its origins in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This recipe does not include onion, garlic, and tomatoes. And yet, it never fails to deliver extraordinary taste. Jeera Rice: Made with cumin seeds and rice, this dish is made all over India. The best part about jeera rice is that you can eat any curry with jeera rice. Be it a dal or chole masala, jeera rice tastes good with every curry. Garlic Naan: Naan is a very tasty Indian flatbread that is liked by children and aged people alike. Just like jeera rice, you can also eat naan with any type of curry. Add some garlic to your naan and you will get a better tasting flatbread than a regular naan. Dal Makhni: Only a few people know that Dal Makhani has its origins in New Delhi. To put it in simple words, it is the modern version of Urad ki Dal (black lentils). It is made by mixing black lentils and red kidney beans. This dal has a rich flavour of spices, butter, and tomato puree. It takes some efforts to make dal makhni, but the final taste of this dal is always great.
The Takeaway
Only a true foodie knows the value of a plate full of naan bread and chole masala oozing with ghee. The taste gets doubled if the chole curry is prepared with the special Punjabi chole recipe. Forget about a bite, the mere sight of chole masala can get your taste buds tingling. Not to mention that the exotic aroma of ginger, garlic, chana masala, and turmeric powder can refresh your senses of smell. So, wait no more and prepare your special plate of chole this weekend!
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