Chana Masala Recipe | Dhaba Style Easy Chole

Ingredients

• 250 g chickpeas
• 1 no bay leaf
• 2-3 inch cinnamon
• 1 no black cardamom
• 3-4 no cloves
• -1 -1 water — Add enough water to cover chickpeas by 1 inch.
• -1 -1 salt — To taste.
• a pinch -1 baking soda
• 3 medium onions — roughly chopped.
• 3 no tomatoes — roughly chopped.
• 2 inch ginger
• 2 no green chilli
• 10-15 no garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch -1 carom seeds
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp yellow chilli powder
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• a large pinch -1 black salt
• -1 -1 hot water — As required.
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• a handful -1 ginger julienne — Sensible guess.
• 2 no green chilli — sliced.
• a pinch -1 garam masala
• a handful -1 fresh coriander — chopped.

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the chickpeas in water for 6-8 hours or overnight, then discard the water and wash them thoroughly to get rid of any smell.

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2. 2

   Add the soaked chickpeas into a pressure cooker along with the whole spices, salt, water, and baking soda. Pressure cook over high flame for one whistle, then over medium flame for 4-5 more whistles.

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3. 3

   Switch off the flame and let the cooker depressurize naturally. Open the lid and check if the chickpeas are cooked; if not, pressure cook them for 1 or 2 more whistles.

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4. 4

   Discard the whole spices and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.

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5. 5

   Add the onions into a mixer jar and grind them into a paste.

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6. 6

   Add all the ingredients for the tomato puree into the mixer and blend them into a fine puree.

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7. 7

   Set a kadhai over high heat, add ghee and oil, and let it get hot.

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8. 8

   Add cumin and carom seeds along with asafoetida and onion paste. Stir well and cook over high flame until it turns golden brown, adding splashes of hot water if the paste starts sticking to the kadhai.

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9. 9

   Lower the flame and add all the powdered spices with a splash of water. Stir well and cook the spices over high flame for a minute or two.

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10. 10

    Add the tomato puree with salt and cook until the ghee separates and the masala becomes crumbly, about 10-12 minutes. If it becomes dry, add hot water and cook further.

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11. 11

    Add the cooked chickpeas, stir well, and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until it becomes semi-thick. You can also mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy faster.

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12. 12

    Once the gravy is semi-thick, dry roast kasuri methi over medium flame in a separate pan, then crush it between your hands and add it to the gravy along with ginger, sliced green chilli, garam masala, and fresh coriander. Stir well.

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