Chhole (chana masala)

• Servings: 4-6
• Soaking time: 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Preparation time: 15 minutes.
• Boiling time: 25-30 minutes.
• Frying time: 13-15 minutes.
• Cooking time: 10 minutes.
• Total time: 70 minutes. 

“Chhole Masala” or “Chana Masala” is a nice option for vegan and vegetarian; not only originated from north India, rather it is the staple dish too. It is  often enjoyed with “Bhature”, “Poori” and “Pulao”

It has earn its place and popularities in all around the world, even Japanese people very fond of chhole… for them Aah… very oily, but they like most… as per their version “it’s  taste is very good, a bit 🌶 spicy for me, but I like to eat”. 

you  will  be surprised to know that there are several types of  Indian foods that are popular among the locals in Japan, but they love Chhole most…

• Kabuli Chana/White gram: 250gm.
• Onion: 3no. (Medium)
• Tomato: 4 no. (Medium)
• Red chilli powder: 1teaspoon
• Turmeric powder: half teaspoon
• Whole coriander: 1 tablespoon
• Cinnamon: 1” piece
• Clove: 2 no.
• Black pepper: 1 teaspoon
• Black cardamom: 1 no.
• Ginger: 2 teaspoon (paste)
• Garlic flakes: 4 no.
• Black salt: half teaspoon
• Green chilli: 4 no.
• Cumin seed: 2 teaspoon
• Bay leaf: 2 no.
• Salt: 2 teaspoon
• Mustard oil/any cooking oil: 3 tablespoon
• Kasuri methi: 2 table spoon (optional)
•  Dry mango powder: half teaspoon
• Chana dal: 2 table spoon.
• Green coriander: 4 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Soak Chhole (Kabuli chana/White gram) overnight.
2. Take a pan and Dry roast whole coriander, prepare dry masala with roasted coriander, cinnamon, black cardamom, black pepper, cloves and cumin seed by grinding all ingredients together. Keep aside.
3. Grind one tomato. Keep aside.
4. Grind one onion. Keep aside.
5. Chop one onion longitudinally.
6. Chop 2 tomatoes.
7. Slit green chilies.
8. Slice 1 onion and 1 tomato. (For decoration)

Method:

1. Boil soaked Kabuli Chana and chana dal with salt, 1teaspoon of ginger paste and water in a pressure cooker on high flame; bring to full cooking pressure, reduce to low flame and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Allow cooker be cool and open.
3. Heat oil in a fry pan; when it  starts to smokes, put 1 teaspoon cumin, garlic flacks and bay leaf. Sputter for few seconds, add chopped onion and fry on high flame till golden brown in colour. (About 2-3 minutes)
4. Add ground onion, continue to fry on medium flame (about 2-3 minutes); add chopped tomato and ginger paste, fry (keep it stirring otherwise it may burn).
5. Add grounded tomato; continue to fry for couple of minutes or till oil separates from the masala.
6. Take a bowl put chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt; add one tablespoon of water, make paste.
7. Add this paste in the fried masala; add silted green chilli, continue to fry on lower flame for couple of minutes.
8. Add Kasuri methi powder (make powder with the help of palm to crush the dry methi leaves) Lower the flame and fry it about another couple of minutes.
9. Add grounded powder masala, continue for couple of minutes.
10. Add boiled Kabuli Chana in it and add water to your requirement (whether you like the gravy thick or watery) lower the flame (about 5-10).
11. Add 2 tablespoon of coriander leaves.
12.  Put off the flame.
13. Now,Chhole is ready to serve.
14. Garnish with onion tomato rings and coriander leaves.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

            Serve with bhature or poori or pulao.

Chhole (chana masala) by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.