amritsari chole recipe with step by step photos – this amritsari chole masala tastes similar to the chole one gets in the punjabi joints on the streets of delhi.
the amritsari chole recipe had been requested my many of you when i had posted the garlic naan recipe. so finally posting the amritsari chole recipe. they taste great with bhatura, butter naan and even with potato tikki. the first day i just served the chole with garlic naan. the next day, i made aloo tikki to go with the chole. the combo of aloo tiki – chole is very famous in north india.
this is an awesome recipe of amritsari chole and you must give it a try. i have used organic chole/chickpeas for making the chole and they do taste better than the regular ones. if you love chole then you would like to check few more chole recipes from the blog like:
while boiling the chole/chickpeas, if you add some baking soda, it makes the chole melt in the mouth when they get cooked. if possible use a pressure cooker for cooking the chole/chickpeas, as in a pan they take a longer time.
if you are looking for more punjabi recipes then do check:
amritsari chole
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
for cooking chole (chickpeas)
- 2 cups dried white chickpeas (kabuli chana or chole) soaked overnight in enough water
- 2 inch cinnamon sticks (dalchini)
- 4 to 5 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 1 large tej patta or 2 medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 4 teaspoon black tea leaves or 3 tea bags
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda, optional
- salt or black salt as required
for amritsari chole gravy
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 medium size tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger (adrak)
- 4 to 5 green chillies, slit or julienned (hari mirch)
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera)
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- 2 teaspoon fennel powder (saunf), optional
- 2 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or 2 teaspoon dried pomegranate powder (anardana powder)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- 2 teaspoon garam masala powder or chana masala powder
- 3 to 4 tablespoon oil
- some julienned ginger
- few coriander leaves (dhania patta)
how to make amritsari chole
cooking chole
- firstly soak the dried chickpeas overnight in water or for 8-9 hours.
- next day pressure cook the soaked chickpeas adding the whole spices mentioned above with black salt or salt and tea bags or tea leaves wrapped tightly in a muslin cloth.
- pressure cook for 8-10 minutes or till the chickpeas are completely cooked.
- strain the chickpeas and reserve the stock along with the whole spices. discard the tea leaves or the tea bags.
making amritsari chole
- in a large pan or a large kadai, heat oil. add the chopped onions. fry till golden brown.
- add slit green chilies and fry for a minute.
- add the chopped tomatoes and chopped ginger and saute the tomatoes till they become soft and mushy.
add the cooked chole (chana or chickpeas) and saute for 5-6 minutes.
- add all the spice powders, stir and saute for a minute.
now add the strained stock about 2.5 to 3 cups to the chole. if the stock is less you can add some water.
- keep the whole mixture on fire and simmer till the curry thickens a bit.
when the amritsari chole gravy thickens, add some julienned ginger to the gravy.
- check the salt and seasonings and add more if required.
- stir and serve amritsari chole hot garnished with coriander leaves along with some bhatura, naan, pooris or even steamed basmati rice.
recipe notes
- the spices can be adjusted as per your preferences.
- this recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- you can also use canned chickpeas instead of dried chickpeas.
note: as a blogger, if you you want to use this recipe or make a youtube video, then please write the recipe in your own words and give a clickable link back to this recipe url - amritsari chole on Veg Recipes of India. its a fair and ethical practice. for using our image please write to us. all our images and content are copyright protected.
how to make amritsari chole masala
1: first pressure cook the soaked chole (chole have to be soaked overnight or for 8-9 hours) with the whole spices and tea bags or black tea leaves tied tightly in a muslin like a bouquet garni, along with some black salt. the chole will get a nice dark color of the tea leaves. they should be completely cooked. strain the chole/chickpeas and reserve the stock.
2: in a pan, heat oil and add chopped onions.
3: fry the onions till they become golden brown.
4: now add slit green chilies and fry for a minute. yes the chole is spicy.
5: add chopped tomatoes and ginger.
6: saute the tomatoes till they become soft and mushy.
7: add the chole and saute for 5-6 minutes.
8: add all the dry masala/spice powders.
9: stir the spice powders and saute for a minute.
10: now add the strained stock to the chole/chickpeas or add the chole to the strained stock. i just removed the chole with a slotted spoon and kept the strained stock in the pressure cooker itself, so added the chole to it.
11: keep the whole mixture on fire and simmer till the gravy thickens a bit. you don’t want a watery chole. adjust the spices and seasonings as per your taste preferences.
12: when the gravy thickens, add some julienned ginger to the chole.
13: stir and serve hot amritsari chole.
14: amritsari chole goes well with pooris, bhatura or naan with some raw chopped onion and lime wedges by the side.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I made this today, it is lipsmacking. God bless you.
Welcome Sulata. Thanks for your positive feedback and best wishes.
Hello! Thanks for this delicious recipe. I tried exactly as per the recipe given and it came out yumm! Would you please help me how much quantity I should take if I have to make for 20-25 people. Thanks:)
thanks for the feedback. with gravy recipes it become tricky if the recipe is exactly doubled or tripled as the balance of the spices can go wrong. so when making gravy recipes eyeball the ingredients and then add or you can use the method of ‘andaaz’ (approximation) and then add.
made today n came out to be awesome…???L❤ve you Dassana ??
thank you farah. glad to know. happy cooking ?
Instead of tea…dry rose petals is also a good option… !
thanks for sharing the suggestion. even dried amla is used to darken the chickpeas.
Superb recipe. Tried it and liked it very much!! Thanks for the recipe amit.
thanks santosh for this feedback on the recipe. nice to know.
This recipe is great. Thanks Dassana. I prefer a thicker gravy so I added more onion and tomatoes to make the gravy. But everything else is just perfect. I also use organic chole and take longer to cook but the baking soda tip was great. chole cooked fast and melt in mouth consistency. Thanks again Dassana 🙂
Welcome Grace. Thanks for your positive feedback. Glad to know that you liked the chole recipe. Even I have noticed that organic chole takes little long time to cook.
I love your website!!
Tried this recipe and it turned out great, and earned me lovely compliments.. 🙂
Thanks a lot! :))
More power to you
welcome maanvi. glad to know this. thanks for your positive feedback and best wishes.
The recipe is very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
thanks kirti for the feedback on amritsari chole recipe.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The photographs were very helpful too. I made a double batch for a taste of India dinner party, our Indian born hostess said this recipe was like eating at home. My neighbor asked for the recipe and my husband said I could make this anytime! Thanks again for taking the time to share this wonderful dish! ( I had three helpings ).
Welcome Cecilia. Glad to know that everyone liked the recipe. thanks for sharing this awesome feedback on amritsari chole.