Although this dish is called Punjabi style chole, the ingredients used were more towards the Multani style. One of my favorite dishes that no matter who says it (yes, I know many notable chefs have “shortcut versions of this dish), cannot be hurried. Make it only if you are willing to soak the channa overnight and also wait for at least 1-2 hrs of slow cooking time.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of dried kabuli channa (aka Bengal gram / garbanzo / chickpea)
- 2 tea bags (use black tea)
- 3-4 medium yellow onions
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 2 inch ginger, slivered
- 5-8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Multani chili paste
- 1.5 tsp red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp cumin powder
- 1.5 tsp coriander powder
- 1 T garam masala
Method:
Soak the chickpeas overnight with the tea bags. Next day, take the tea bags out and set aside. In a pot, saute the onions in oil till they are golden brown (about 10 minutes). Add to this all the rest of the ingredients and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the soaked chickpeas along with any water left behind. Add more water if needed till they are completely covered in it. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and let it slow cook for two hours (at least one) stirring occasionally. To know when they are done, look for the chickpeas disintegrating into the gravy. Serve with hot crispy puris in the morning for a tasty breakfast.
