Punjabi Chhole

Time to take a break from sweets so lets make something spicy! This is an all time favorite in our household. Who doesn't like chhole. Chhole is a Punjabi dish in Indian cuisine.
Chhole is white chickpeas made in a spicy gravy of green masala. Very authentic dish and tasty too. It can be served with bhatura, naan, rice, even with samosa and tikki... the choice is yours!

You can use ready made tin of pre boiled chickpeas from any supermarket. But I always have prefered to make everything from scratch.

But before I forget let me show you my darling daughter's outfit that I have designed for her for Navratri festival. In my last post I promised I will show you. I love to design clothes!

She looked stunning in this outfit.! Do you guys like it? Tell me :) Fashion and food never go wrong if you put your soul in it.

So come on lets make chhole!

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 1/2 cups white chickpeas

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup onion chopped

3/4 cup tomato chopped to make paste

3 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon  green chili paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)

1 tablespoon Coriander powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon Amchur powder (mango powder from MDH)

1 teaspoon Chana masala

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon jaggery

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

2 star anise

pinch of hing (Asafoetida)

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak chickpeas over night in warm water.
2. Next morning, pressure cook chickpeas with 1 teaspoon salt, 2 star anise and 2 1/2 cups water. If you don't have pressure cooker, then don't worry, you can boil them in a big pot with 4 cups of water, salt and star anise. Make sure you cover it with a lid and boil them for at least for 40 minutes until they become soft and tender.
3. If you have cooked them in pressure cooker, don't drain excess water from chick peas and same with the pot process. Excess water will help to make aromatic taste of authentic chhole and make gravy thick.
4. In a wide pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds.
5. Add hing and then onion. Saute chopped onion until translucent.
6. Add ginger paste and green chili paste and saute for 30 seconds.
7. Add chopped tomato paste and saute until oil separates from gravy (blend and make saucy paste of tomatoes) 
8. Now add salt,red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, jaggery, amchur powder and mix well in gravy and stir for 2-3 minutes
9. Now add chickpeas into gravy and stir for 7-8 minutes until gravy become thick.
10. Add chana masala and garam masala and stir again.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with bhatura, rice, naan or paratha.

MDH Amchur Powder