Chole / Chickpeas Gravy

Chole ….  To go with Poori /  Bhatura

Ingredients :

Chick peas :  ½  cup

Cooking soda : ¼  tsp

Water : 1 + ¼  cup

Tea decoction : 1 tsp

Onion : ½ ( grated or finely chopped  )

Tomato : ½ ( puree )

Garlic cloves : 2 ( crushed )

Ginger : ¼ inch ( crushed )

Turmeric powder : 2 pinches

Kashmiri  chilly  : 1

Red chilly powder : 1/2 tsp

Jeera : ¼ tsp 

Grated raw mango : ½ tsp

Pomegranate seeds :  1/2 tsp ( crushed ) 

Fresh coriander stems : 1tsp ( chopped ) 

Sugar : ¼ tsp

Cinnamon stick   : 1/2 inch

Bay leaf / briyani ilai  /  tej patta  :  1

Green chilly : 1 

Ghee : 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi / Dry Fenugreek leaves : 1/2 tsp

Corianders leaves : 1 tsp ( chopped )

Ghee + Oil : 1 tbsp

Chole masala powder : 1/2 tsp 

Salt as required .

Method : 

Soak chick peas overnight  in sufficient water adding cooking soda.

Next day drain the water and rinse it nicely .

In pressure cooker , without using inner vessel, directly add 1 + ¼ cup of water and soaked chickpeas along with the  tea decoction, Ginger, whole Kashmiri chilly, Bay leaves, Cinnamon stick , half tsp of ghee and 2 pinches of salt.  Cook for 5 whistles.   Chickpeas should get cooked very well.

After cooking,  Drain the water and keep the cooked water aside for later use.

Mash few chickpeas, to get thick gravy.

 In a cooker heat oil+ ghee and add jeera. 

when it gets fried lightly, add grated onion and when it becomes translucent  add crushed garlic , grated mango, finely chopped green chilly, chopped coriander stem. Sautee nicely till raw smell goes. Add  salt, sugar, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, crushed kasuri methi, chole masala powder and give a nice stir . 

Add tomato puree + crushed pomegranate seeds and cook till oil oozes on the top .

Add mashed chickpeas along with the rest of the chickpeas  … give a nice stir . 

Now add the water in which we cooked the chickpeas  .

Close the lid and cook for a whistles.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Serve hot with Poori  / Bhatura / Jeera rice .

 

·        Ingredients for Dry Chole masala powder :

Black Cardamom /  karuppu yelakkai /  moti ilaichi  : 4

Black pepper /  milagu  /  kali mirch : 1 tbsp 

Cumin seeds /  jeeragam  /  jeera  :  1 tsp

Coriander seeds  /  kothamalli varai /  dhania : 1+ ½  tbsp

Hing : 1/2 tsp

Bedgi Red chilly   :  3

Dry fry the above masala and store it in a tight container.

Tips:   

1.     Instead of adding raw mango, we can add Amchur powder  or 1 tsp of hung curd while cooking  or  add few drops of lemon juice at the end, while garnishing.  

2.     Tea bag is added to give a nice aroma as well as a tint in colour. 

3.      You can replace tea bag with a slice of dry gooseberry  / sooka amla /  kaaindha nellikkai   .