Dilli Wale Chole

Dilli Wale Chole:

Chole is a popular dish of North India. Also known as Punjabi Chole and Chole Masala is traditionally served with Kulcha or Bhatura. It is made with white chickpeas that are soaked overnight. It is a lovely blend of strong flavours that leaves you salivating with every bite you take. It is cooked on every occasion, wedding, festivals, etc. in North India. The recipe that we are sharing today is one that we have loved after trying a number of them. It is flavoursome and you would want to cook it again and again. Cheers! 

Serves 4

Ingredients

For Chickpeas:

1 Cup Chickpea (soaked overnight) or canned

2 Cloves

1 Star Anies

5- 7 Black pepper pods

1 Green Cardamom

1 Black Cardamom

1 tsp Carom Seeds or ajwain

1 tsp grated Ginger

1 Green Chilli (de- seeded)

1 tea bag

3 cups Water

A pinch of Turmeric

Salt to taste

a muslin cloth

For Masala:

2 Tomatoes (medium sized- pureed)

2 Onions (medium sized- pureed)

2 Red Chilli’s (dried)

1 tbs Oil

1 tsp Cumin Seeds (jeera)

1 ½ tsp Ginger- garlic paste

1 tsp Red Chilli powder

1 tsp Cumin- coriander powder

½ tbs Chole Masala powder (I used Everest Chole Masala)

Salt to taste

Lemon to Garnish

Method:

To cook Chole:

1. In a pressure cooker add soaked and drained chole. Next, tie all the whole masalas in a muslin cloth and put the bunch into the cooker. Finally, add the other ingredients, and give it a slight mix.

Pressure cook this for about 8- 10 whistles (till Chole is tender). Once done, drain the chole and save the water.

For Gravy:

1. In a pan, add oil and let it heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add dried red chilli, ginger- garlic paste and onion puree to the pan. Sweat this puree until the it turns brown (do not burn it) while stirring occasionally. 
2. Now add tomato puree and let it cook till the oil starts to settle on the puree (stir it occasionally). Next add all the dry spice powders and salt and let it cook for 5- 7 minutes. 
3. Once the spices are cooked, add water (one used to boil chole) and boil it for around 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the tea bag and the spice bag from the pressure cooker. With the back of your spatula, mash 1/4^th of the Chickpeas.
4. Add the chickpea to the gravy after boiling the water. Cooke this for 5 minutes. Turn of the flame and squeeze in some lemon juice. Serve it with hot steamed rice or puris. 

Tips: 

1. To test chole, press it between your fingers (it should break easily).
2. If you don’t have a tea bag, use 1 tsp of tea powder and add it to the spices in the muslin cloth.
3. You can serve it with a half baked potato and some pickle.