Pindi Choley | Easy Punjabi Style Chole Masala Recipe
Pindi choley masala is a wholesome and flavourful Indian spicy curry recipe made with chickpeas cooked in an onion-tomato based gravy and a combination of spices.
Ingredients
- 200 gm white chana
- 1 tej patta
- 1 stick cinnamon dalchini
- 2 laung
- 1 big black cardamom badi eliachi
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch turmeric powder haldi
- 4-5 dry amla pieces
For gravy
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- 2 small size onion chopped
- 2 medium size tomato pureed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3-4 gralic clove crushed
- 3 green chilli whole
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp chana masala
Instructions
- Wash chickpeas few times with clean water and soak them for 7-8 hours or best overnight.
- After soaking, wash them again with water and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add dry amla pieces, tej patta, dalchini, Badi ilaichi and laung. Also, add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt that helps in faster cooking. Add enough water.
- Put the pressure cooker on medium flame, once a whistle has gone, lower the flame to low setting and cook it for about 15-20 minutes. Then switch off the flame.
- Wait till the pressure is released, open the lid and check if chickpea becomes soft and cooked well. Just take a piece of boiled Chola and press it between your finger if soft you are good to go for the next step. Otherwise, again pressure cook for 3-4 minutes and then follow the next steps.
- Remove dry amla pieces, tej patta, dalchini stick and put the boiled choley aside.
- In a frying pan, heat oil, add jeera. Wait till it to crackle, add whole green chillies, chopped onion, sauté it till it gets a nice light brown colour. Add garlic paste and sauté it tills it raw smell gone.
- Now add tomato puree and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, coriander powder, ginger powder and red chilli powder. Cover the pan and cook it till the gravy starts leaving oil. Now mix boiled chole in it and again transfer to the pressure cooker.
- Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 minutes on a low flame. Once the pressure is released, open the lid.
- Add chana masala and mix it by pressing chickpeas lightly. It makes the gravy thick and well infused with the flavours in it.
- Punjabi style choley masala is ready to serve. Transfer into a serving bowl garnish with coriander leaves, onion rings, lemon piece and whole green chillies. ENJOY! with poori, paratha or rice.
Notes
1. For a nice dark colour of chickpeas add 1-2 tea bags or 4-5 pieces of dry amla or 1-2 dried peel of pomegranate while boiling.
2. Pressure cook them on a low medium flame for about 15-20 minutes so that they become soft and well cooked. To cook fast add a pinch of baking soda.
3.I have added chana masala to give them a tangy flavour can also use dry mango powder(amchoor) or dried anardana powder instead.
4.After the chickpeas are cooked, slightly mash them which helps in making a thick gravy. Also after cooling down chole masala becomes a little dry. some people also add chana dal while boiling to make the gravy thick, but it is not necessary.