Sneha's Recipe: Chole

I have already made so many recipes of Chole/Chickpea Curry which are already posted. But this recipe is totally different and we enjoyed this with Yeasted Bhatura.

Ingredients

1 Cup Heaped Dried Chickpeas
3 Large Onions - finely chopped
3 Large Tomatoes- peel of the skin and then chop
5 Big Cloves Garlic - minced
1 Heaped Minced Ginger

2 Bay leaves
2" Stick Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander Powder

2 Teaspoons Level Red Chilly Powder

1 Tea bag

4 Tablespoons Heaped Yogurt - beaten
4 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste
Method

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight or for at least 4 hours. Then rinse and boil them in fresh water with salt to taste. Keep this aside.

Heat another pressure pan with no oil and saute the chopped onions, saute them for a minute, then cover the cooker. Remove the weight. Cook on high flame for a couple of minutes so that steam is created inside.

Then lower the flame and let it cook for 3 minutes. Now take off the lid, onions will have softened and get lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic, saute again for 2 minutes, till light brown. Add tomatoes ( used frozen tomatoes so the skin peels off easily and get mushy too quickly). Cook till tomatoes mushy and mashed up and the liquid released from them evaporates.

Make a well in the middle, and pour oil. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick , cumin seeds, let these sauté a bit in the oil, then add turmeric, coriander and red chilly powder. Add salt to taste (just remember that boiled chickpeas already have salt in them)and the tea bag( this will give a nice rich color to gravy without altering the taste of the gravy), so do not worry just add it. Mix all these very well then add the beaten yogurt. Again mix everything well and cook on medium flame, stirring in between.

If the gravy sticks to the bottom, add the stock from boiled chickpeas little by little so that spices does not burn at the bottom of the pan. When oil starts to surface add the chickpeas and the remaining stock, stir this well. With the back of the spoon mash some chickpeas. Add water if needed to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.

Place the lid of the pressure pan, close it, take 3 whistles on high flame. Turn off the flame. When the cooker cools down, transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with chopped coriander, onion rings and flame roasted green chillies.