Friday, October 29, 2010

Chickpeas in a spicy gravy (chole)

I am really comfortable making chickpeas. Easy to cook and tastes great with everything- Rice/Roti. I always get the regular white chickpeas (also known as Kabuli chana in northern India) and hardly use the black small ones. If you get your hands on the small black chickpeas also known as kala chana, try them out. If you cook them with Indian spices in a gravy, it tastes swell and doesn't take much of your time either!


What do we need?

2 cups Kala chana/small black chickpeas
one onion medium sized (chopped)
1 big tomato (mashed to a paste/pureed)
2 big cloves garlic (crushed and chopped finely)
1/2 tsp ginger grated
1 green chilli chopped
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
coriander powder 1 tsp
cumin seed powder 1 tsp
red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
black pepper powder 1/4 tsp
garam masala 1/4 tsp
kasoori methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
coriander leaves (for garnishing)
1 bay leaf
cinnamon powder (dash of it)
salt (according to taste)

Preparation-
Soak the chickpeas overnight and then pressure cook it till they are soft and melt in your mouth. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Add onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry them till they are golden brown. Add the tomato puree/paste with red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper, garam masala and a dash of cinnamon. Keep stirring till the oil separates from the gravy. Take 2 big tbsp of chickpeas separately in a cup and crush them to a paste. Add this paste to the gravy and fry the gravy for five minutes. As the gravy starts becoming rich and thick, add the rest of the chickpeas with some water (for the chickpeas to cook and blend with the gravy). Add salt and kasoori methi leaves. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti!


9 comments:

  1. Very unique recipe! This flavor combination sounds delicious!

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  2. A very yummy recipe, perfect for a cold winter!

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  3. Thats a beautiful looking fabulous chole..next time i'll prepare with kala channa.

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  4. This looks so good. I love chickpeas, and love finding new ways to incorporate them into my meals! Thanks for a new recipe.

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  5. Hummm..I never seen black chickpeas, but I love to use chickpeas in salads and soups. It makes the salad more satisfying...Love, love the combination of spices you used. That must be one flavorful soup. Will definitely bookmark this recipe. It looks great.

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  6. My favorite..just want some roties to go along with it and I am all set :)

    US Masala

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  7. I love chickpeas. This recipe sounds very flavorful and look delish! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I know what you mean when you said comfort food. This is one of them!

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