Channa/Chole Masala With Potatoes

Chole Masala is a popular north indian curry. Chole goes well with poori, bhatura, roti, naan or rice. I like potatoes so cooked it with channa, if u do not want then just skip them.

Ingredients for pressure cooking:

1 cup (250 ml cup) chickpeas (white channa)
3 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas
2 to 3 potatoes peeled(optional)
½ tsp salt

Spices to grind for the punjabi chole masala:

2 black cardamoms/elaichi
1 inch cinnamon/dalchini
3 to 4 peppercorns/sabut kali mirch
2 cloves/lavang
1 medium indian bay leaf
¼ tsp carom seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp dry pomegranate seeds
1 or 2 dry red chilies

If u don't have time go with this masala. Simply increase the measure of garam masala instead.

Ingredients for the gravy:

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized tomato, ground into paste
2 to 3 small garlic cloves & ½ inch ginger, crushed to a paste or ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
¾ to 1 tsp dry mango powder - optional and only to be added when you do not have dry pomegranate seeds
2 to 3 green chilies, slit
1 to 1.25 cups water or the stock in which the chickpeas were cooked.
2 tbsp oil
salt as required

Method:

Rinse and soak the chole (chickpeas) in enough water overnight. Add enough amount of water as the chole increase in size after soaking it. Rinse the soaked chickpeas.

In a pressure cooker add the chole along with   peeled potatoes then add water. Season with salt and pressure cook the chana for 8-10 whistles.

The chana should be cooked well an softened. The chole should be soft when you mash it with a spoon.

In a pan, take all the whole spices for the chole masala mentioned above and on a low heat begin to roast them.

Stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. Don't burn them, let them become fragrant.

Let these roasted spices cool and then grind them finely in a in a dry grinder.

Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add Green chilies, chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste,salt and saute till their raw aroma goes away and turns golden brown.

Then add tomatoes paste &saute t till  the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.

Then add the powdered chole masala that we ground, along with the red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder (optional).

Stir the dry masala add the cooked chole and potatoes then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chana was boiled. you can also add water if required.

Stir and simmer on a low to medium flame. The gravy will thicken and reduce. mash a few chana. this will help thicken the gravy. simmer till you get the consistency you prefer.

Garnish chole masala with coriander leaves & serve the punjabi chole with kulchas, bhaturas, pooris, rotis, along with sliced onions, tomatoes and lime. chole also tastes jeera rice.

Notes

1. If the chole is going to done morning soak overnight (or) in evening atleast soak for 8 hrs before.

2.If you don't have amchur or dried pomegranate seeds then add
lime or lemon juice toward the end.