Chole Masala or Chickpea Masala

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kabuli channa/chickpeas soaked overnight
• 1 large tomato
• 2 large onions
• 2 green chillies slit
• 1 tsp. ginger grated
• 1 tsp. garlic crushed
• Cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped coriander/cilantro leaves

Masalas/Condiments :-

• 2 tsps Chole masala ( available in Indian stores)
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• turmeric powder(optional)
• pepperpowder (optional)
• salt to taste
• Fenugreek (Methi) Powder
• Tomato ketchup or puree
  

Method:

• Soak chole in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6hrs. Leave a tea bag in it to add to the rich color ( optional). Soda could be added for adding volume to the chana.
• Pressure cook chole with 1/3 tsp turmeric, water and salt upto 3 whistles. Drain the chole; but, reserve the liquid

• Take some onion and all tomoatoes with 5-6 chana that have cooled. Grind them into a paste. (Optional pure tomato puree could be used.)
• Blend garlic and ginger too.
  

• Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add cumin seeds.
• When the cumin seeds splutter, add ginger-garlic paste and 2 split green chillies. Saute them.
• Add chopped onion to it and saute till they are brown.
• Add the onion-tomato-chana paste and stir them.
• Mix all the masala powders to it and saute for a minute.
• When the mixture is cooked, add some reserve water and bring to a boil.
• Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated in the mixture
• Put more reserved water depending on the gravy you need, check and adjust the seasoning.
• Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes. Finally add some fenugreek/methi powder and take mixture off the stove.
• Garnish it with cilantro leaves
  
  

Serve it with bhature, puri or chapatti with sliced onion and lemon by the side!
Recipe for Bature follows in my next blog:-). http://tastebuds4experiments.blogspot.com/2009/08/bhatura.html