छोले(Chole/Chickpeas Recipe) | An authentic North Indian Dish

Today I will share the recipe of "CHOLE", a popular north indian dish. I have limited expertise in culinary adventure. And "CHOLE" is one of them. Any recipe in India is measured by-- "Texture", "Flavour", and "Color". I tried to strike a perfect balance among the three to make it as authentic as possible. *Disclaimer- I dont have a posh kitchen or utensils to present it lavishly, but my preparation is truly authentic, so please consider it in that spirit.* So let's start.    Before we start, let's prepare the dry chole masala first. ## Ingredients for Dry Chole Masala-- - 2 tsp coriander seeds - 1 tsp cumin seeds - 1 dried red chili (you can add more to adjust for spice preference) - 1 tsp black peppercorns - 2 black cardamom pods - 2 cardamom(small) - 1-inch cinnamon stick - 5-6 cloves - 2 tsp pomegranate seeds (anardana, key ingredient- But I did not have that in today's preparation, because I live in the countryside, and the local stores did not have that.) - 1/2 javitri(nutmeg mace) - 2 tsp kassuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)  Dry roast it for 2 mins on a low flame, and cool it down. Then grind it dry.    Then let's go for boiling chole(kabuli chana). Please note that I soaked around 200 grams of Chole for 8 hours. You may add 1 tsp baking soda during soaking it in water for 8 hrs, later on wash it properly before you boil it. ## Ingredients for Boiling soaked chole(kabuli chana)-- 200 grams of dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) - 1 black tea bag or 1 tsp tea leaves (tied in muslin cloth) - 1 black cardamom - 1-inch cinnamon stick - 1 bay leaf - Salt to taste  Boil it in a pressure cooker. Keep the boiled water(which is enhanced with flavour), because that is key for imparting proper color and aroma to CHOLE.   ## Ingredients for Curry/Gravy - 3 medium onions, (fine grinding/puree) - 1 and 1/2 medium tomatoes, (pureed) - 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste - Finely chopped garlic - Julienne ginger - 1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) (for tanginess) - 1 tsp turmeric powder - 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder (for color) - 1 and 1/2 tsp coriander powder - 2-3 dry chole masala (which we prepared above/home-made) - 1-2 tsp ghee or butter - Salt to taste - 2-3 cups water (adjust for gravy consistency) - 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp carom seeds - Dry grated nutmeg powder - 1-2 Bay leaf - 2-3 tbsp mustard oil      Now, put the pan on a low-medium flame. Add 1/2 tsp asafoetida, followed by whole cumin seeds and carom seeds. Then add fine chopped garlic, cook it until it becomes golden-brown.  Put bay leaves in hot oil. Add 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes until raw aroma disappears.  Add pureed onion, followed by pureed tomatoes, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the oil separates from the masala.  Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, and 2-3 tsp prepared chole masala. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.    Add 1 tsp dry grated nutmeg powder, 1 tsp dried mango powder, etc.     Add julienne ginger and slitted green chilli.  Pour 2-3 cups reserved chana water (or plain water). Adjust consistency for thick or thin gravy. Add salt to taste. Cook it for another 4-5 minutes and wait until the oil starts separating from the masala. Then add boiled chickpeas (Chole/Kabuli Chana), properly mix it to coat with masala. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld.  Add 1 tsp ghee at this stage. It will enhance the flavour. Simmer it for another 3/4 minutes.      Please note that CHOLE was prepared by me and CHAPATI(ROTI) by my Mom. We generally serve Chole with Roti or Parantha, or Kulcha in India. I prefer Roti and Chole.     That's it. Thank you. 🙏🙏🙏  |Detailed Info|Description| |------------|------------| | Device | Redmi 7, Xiomi | | Location | 7R2R+JQ5, Odisha, India |  *Original Photography using my Smartphone*