Chole Recipe , Punjabi Chole Bhatura Recipe

Restaurant style chole recipe (Chole chana masala) - A delicious high protein chickpeas curry prepared in onion tomato gravy.

Chole recipe is popular in North India. White chickpeas, also known as kabuli chana in Hindi, are soaked for 8 - 10 hours. Then cooked in onion tomato based curry.

Usage of whole spices in combination to powdered spices make this recipe super delicious. It is best served with puffy bhatura but also taste delicious with peas pulao and roti.

I learnt chole masala recipe from my mother. Her recipes are always full proof. I have already shared punjabi chole masala but this version is completely different and will give absolutely restaurant style taste.

I have shared all tricks to make this yummy recipe, throughout the article.

Let's read the recipe.

Some other punjabi recipes available on blog are dal makhani, spicy chana masala, paneer butter masala and matar paneer recipe

Chole recipe Video recipe

Chole recipe card

For boiling chickpeas

Ingredients

For preparing chole

1 cup Soaked chickpea(overnight or 8 hours)
1 inch mace piece
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 inch cinnamon piece
2 cardamom pods
1/2 cup black tea water
1 black cardamom
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2 generous pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
1 tablespoon thick yogurt
2 large onions, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
3/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon kasoori methi
2 teaspoons coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ghee
1 green chilli, slit into half
A few ginger slices

Step by step restaurant style chole recipe

Step 1. In a pressure cooker, add soaked chickpeas, mace piece, black pepper, cinnamon piece, cardamom pods, black tea water, black cardamom, baking soda, salt and water.
Place the pressure cooker on medium heat and let the 10 whistles come.
Switch off the burner.
Let the pressure go by itself. Check the chickpeas that they are cooked.

Note - Tea water is added not just for colour but also it is acidic in nature so balances the alkaline nature of baking soda. This combination makes chickpeas perfectly cooked and moist.

Step 2. Place a pan on medium heat. Add ghee. Once it melts and becomes hot, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, asafoetida. Saute for few seconds.

Step 3. Add crushed ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute.

Step 4. Once raw aroma goes off, add yogurt. Saute it till it becomes golden brown.

Note - If yogurt is not cooked it could ruin the recipe. Make sure that yogurt is cooked properly to golden brown.

Step 5. Add chopped onion and saute till becomes golden brown.

Step 6. Add tomatoes and cook for 4- 5 minutes until they become mushy and soft.

Step 7. Add kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Saute for a minute.

Step 8. Add 1/4 cup water and stir to cook about 1 minute. Then masala mixture would absorb all water.

Step 9. Add cooked chole prepared in step 1 and mix gently in masala.

Step 10. Add water to adjust the consistency. Then add coriander leaves and set the burner to lowest heat. Let the curry simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Step 11. Add 1 tablespoon ghee, ginger juliennes and half slit green chili.
Switch off the burner. Let it rest for 15 minutes covered with lid.

Chole are ready to serve with hot bhatura and naan.