Chhole Masala Recipe
Chhole Masala is a protein packed curry from the northern region of India. The beans are cooked in a tangy curry with onions and garlic. There are many variations and methods to make this curry. Here is the recipe on how I like it. So do try and leave a comment on how you like it. Ingredients:
2 cups dry Garbanzo Beans (Chhole or Chickpeas)
1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
2 finely chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp Red chili-garlic paste
2 tsp Turmeric powder
4 tsp Red Chili powder
2 tsp Coriander-Cumin powder 2 tsp Chhole Masala (I used Everest Chhole masala)
1 tsp Amchur powder (Dry Mango powder)
2 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
2 dry Red Chilies
Cilantro to garnish
A pinch of Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Instructions:
Wash and soak the beans for 6-8 hours or overnight in cold water.
Cook the beans in the pressure cooker. It should take 3-4 whistles or around 10-12 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook in open pan. It will take around 40-45 minutes or cook until the beans are soft to bite.
Now heat some oil in a pan. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds along with cloves and cinnamon.
Once the seeds start to crackle and the spices are fragrant, add the onions.
Saute the onions till they are translucent and then add the tomatoes.
Add all the spices (salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander cumin powder, chhole masala and amchur powder) and mix it well.
Add a cup of water and mix. Now add the cooked beans and mix well.
Add another 2 cups of water, and cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes or till the gravy thickens. I like to crush some of the beans with back of the spoon to thicken the gravy.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Puris, Roti, Naan or rice.