Chole (chana masala) is a Punjabi dish of chickpeas simmered in a gravy of aromatics, tomatoes, and plenty of warm spices. It’s my go-to meal for a casual weeknight or even a special occasion. It’s my forever meal.
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Chole (chana masala) is a pretty popular Punjabi dish made with chickpeas, aromatics, tomatoes, and plenty of spices. The cool part is there are so many variations of it. Even though most versions have some shared elements, I could talk about all the subtleties that make them different for hours. (Probably not hours, but like, at least 30 minutes.)
My mom makes the best chole I’ve ever had. And I don’t just say that because I tend to idolize my mother’s cooking, though that is definitely true as well. It’s just that she’s made me so many versions over the years that I’ve gained quite a taste for what is good chole and what is ok chole. I shared a chole recipe last year too, under her guidance. This recipe is similar, but there are a few differences!
For one, I didn’t use the black tea method because I didn’t have any at the moment. If you do want to use the black tea method to make your chole a rich, dark color, please check out that recipe!
I added a bay leaf and some garlic when pressure cooking the chickpeas in my Instant Pot. I also added a few whole spices to spice the oil when starting the dish!
Lastly, I cooked the onions for an especially long time because my dad does that for his chicken and mutton dishes, so I figured I’d go for twice as long as usual. It isn’t necessary though!
This chole is a melding of my favorite flavors and techniques, after eating my mom’s chole for many years and watching her make it a few times. I hope you love it as much as I do.
How to Make Chole (Chana Masala)
Soak and pressure cook the chickpeas.
For the lowest pressure cooking time, you’ll want to soak the chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight! I used an Instant Pot, but you can also use a pressure cooker. Pressure cook with salt, garlic, and a bay leaf. It makes a difference!
You can also use canned chickpeas, but since this recipe makes a lot of chole at once, I think it’s much more affordable to use dry chickpeas.
Whole spices
You’re going to start with cardamom and cinnamon. It’s a subtle amount, far less than what a lot of other recipes call for, but they add warm, almost unidentifiable sweet undertones. I felt like other whole spices were not necessary for this dish because the ground spices come in strong later on.
Aromatics and tomatoes
My dad swears by cooking his onions for a long time for his chicken and mutton curries. And if there is something he knows how to cook well, it’s chicken and mutton curries. I figured I would double the cook time to let them caramelize beyond translucency and add a rich depth to the base of the dish.
Then add ginger and tomato paste from tomatoes. You can use canned crushed tomatoes as well!
Spice spice baby
This is the part where we go heavy on the spices. You may be alarmed by the quantities of spices, but it’s only because this recipe makes A LOT of chole. The “tbsp” is not a typo.
You’ll need cumin, coriander, garam masala, and red chili powder. Add the garam masala and red chili powder based on your personal flavor and spice preferences! YOU are in charge here.
Later, you’ll finish with kashmiri lal mirch (optional for color) and amchur (dried mango powder), which adds a tartness. If you don’t have amchur, I would recommend lime juice.
Storage and Freezing
This recipe makes A LOT because chole is ideal for storing and freezing. It will last for 4-5 days in the fridge and for months in the freezer. My mom freezes chole for me to take to my apartment near school, so I can attest to the fact that frozen chole is still great. I’m very lucky to have it <3
Chole (Chana Masala)
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (400g) dry chickpeas *equivalent of 6.25 cups cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas
- 5 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 green cardamom
- 1-inch cinnamon
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1.5 cups tomato paste (from ~ 3 tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- ½-1 tsp garam masala (1 if you're using store bought. add depending on strength of your garam masala!)
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp kashmiri lal mirch (Kashmiri chili powder)
- 1 tbsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- lemon juice to taste
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight.
- Pressure cook the chickpeas.In an Instant Pot: add chickpeas, water, salt, bay leaf, and garlic. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release. Don't drain!In a pressure cooker: Pressure cook the chickpeas on medium-high. After the first whistle goes off, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 10 minutes before taking it off the heat.
- Add avocado oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cardamom and cinnamon. Fry for a minute.
- Add onion and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it is somewhat dark and caramelized! Stir occasionally. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent it from sticking.
- Add ginger and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the raw ginger smell goes away. Add tomato paste and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the tomato juices evaporate.
- Add cumin, coriander, garam masala, and red chili powder. Stir for a minute.
- Pour in the pressure cooked chickpeas and the water they were cooked in. Increase heat to medium-high until it bubbles, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add kashmiri lal, amchur, and black pepper. Finish cooking uncovered for 15 minutes until it is the consistency and texture you want it! the longer it sits, the longer the flavor has a chance to seep in.
- Finish with lemon juice and cilantro. Serve with rice, roti, naan, paratha, puri, bhature…the world is your oyster.
If you love this chole, I highly recommend checking out the black tea version! You may also enjoy…
