Amritsari Chole
If Amritsar in Punjab is about its kulcha, then the culture-rich and vibrant city is also about its special version of Chole Masala. Yes, the Amritsari Chole is one of the best companions of the Kulcha. This Amritsari Chole also tastes similar to the ones that are served on the food-rich streets of Delhi.
About Amritsari Chole
Many people confuse Amritsari Chole with the Pindi Chole. I would say, yes, they are similar in a lot of aspects. But one major difference between the two is that while Amritsari Chole belongs to its namesake city in Punjab, India; Pindi Chole is believed to have its origin in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
The recipe of Amritsari Chole was one of the most requested recipes since the day I had shared my Garlic Naan recipe. So, I finally decided to work on it and post it here. After all, everyone has the right to know the recipe of a dish so robust and delicious.
I’m sure once you try this Amritsari Chole, you will be wanting to finish the whole thing at once and crave for more at the very same time! Same like one of the very popular Indian sayings about tasty food, “pet bhar gaya, par mann nahi,” meaning “stomach is full, but the heart isn’t.”
More on this Amritsari Chole
To bring the best out in my recipes, I always try and use really good quality ingredients. Just like the organic chickpeas that I have used in the preparation of this Amritsari Chole. As compared to the regular ones, these definitely bring a better flavor in the dish.
A lot of people ask me about the addition of baking soda while cooking the chickpeas. I add it on occasions because it makes this legume melt-in-mouth after it is cooked. Just imagine this scenario! Won’t it be awesome to get that feeling while eating?
Also, about whether to use a pressure cooker or a pan to cook the chickpeas. To this, my advice will be to opt for the pressure cooker as the chickpeas will cook faster in it versus the pan. So, your overall time of cooking the entire dish will decrease too.
The most obvious accompaniments with the Amritsari Chole are kulcha, Bhatura or Butter Naan. Then comes the next list which comprise of a simple, homely Jeera Rice, steamed rice or crisp aloo tikki. You can directly refer to this recipe of Aloo Tikki Chole to know how to jazz-up the chole.
Soaking Chickpeas
To cook legumes like chickpeas (chole) or kidney beans (rajma) in an easier way, it is best to soak them overnight or essentially for about 8 hours.
This procedure of soaking the legumes will also reduce the phytic acid in them, which is responsible for flatulence and bloating in the human body.
But what if you miss out on soaking the chickpeas or beans? Don’t worry. Just add the legumes to a bowl of boiled hot water, cover and keep it for 1 to 2 hours. This way also works well in speeding up the cooking process.
How to make Amritsari Chole
Cook Chickpeas
1. Rinse 1 cup dried chickpeas a few times and soak in 3 cups water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
Later, drain the water and rinse the chickpeas in fresh water twice. Drain all of the water and set aside.
2. You need to now cook the chickpeas. Here, I have pressure cooked the chickpeas in an instant pot, but you can also cook them in a stove-top pressure cooker.
Transfer the soaked chickpeas to your instant pot or a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add the following ingredients:
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 black cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 tej patta
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger or ginger paste
- 2 to 3 dried Indian gooseberry (amla) pieces – optional or swap with 1 black tea bag or 1 teaspoon black tea powder or leaves tied tightly in a muslin.
- ½ teaspoon black salt or regular salt
Amla gives a dark color to the chickpeas. But, you can use a black tea bag or tea powder tied in muslin instead. The chole will get a nice dark color of the black tea leaves.
Tip 1: While boiling the chickpeas, if you add a pinch of baking soda, it makes them melt-in-mouth when they get cooked.
Tip 2: If possible use a stovetop pressure cooker or the instant pot for cooking the chickpeas, as in a pan they take a longer time.
3. Add 3 cups water.
4. For stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chickpeas for 12 to 15 minutes or more if needed on medium heat.
For instant pot, cook on high pressure for 25 to 30 minutes.
Wait until the pressure settles naturally in either the stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Then only remove the lid.
The chickpeas should be completely cooked and softened. Now do either of the following:
- Strain the chickpeas and reserve the stock, if you have used dried gooseberries and cooked chickpeas without baking soda.
- If you have used tea bags or baking soda while cooking, discard the stock.
Make Onion-Tomato Masala
5. In a pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
6. Sauté the onions stirring often on medium-low heat.
7. Sauté until they become golden.
8. Now, add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (tightly packed) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
9. Sauté until the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. You should see oil releasing from the sides of the sautéed onion-tomato mixture base.
Make Amritsari Chole
10. Add the cooked chickpeas.
11. Mix thoroughly to an even mixture.
12. Add all the spice powders one by one:
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mango powder or pomegranate powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
13. Mix and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
14. Add 1 cup stock of the cooked chickpeas stock or 1 cup water, 2 to 3 slit green chilies and salt as required.
15. Mix well to get an even curry and simmer till the gravy thickens a bit. You don’t want a watery or runny gravy. Mash a few chickpeas to thicken the consistency.
Check the taste and adjust the spices and seasonings as per your taste preferences.
16. Garnish with some ginger juliennes and serve Amritsari Chole hot. You can also garnish with coriander leaves. Add a side of thinly sliced or chopped onions and lemon wedges.
Amritsari Chole goes well with poori, bhatura, roti or naan. You can also enjoy the curry with steamed rice or cumin rice or ghee rice.
Expert Tips
- While pressure cooking the chickpeas, you can add regular salt or edible rock salt instead of black salt.
- When you are using dried chickpeas or kabuli chana, use only fresh and the ones in their shelf period. The dish won’t taste good if you are using old chickpeas. Aged chickpeas also take more time to cook.
- If you have canned chickpeas use them instead of dried chickpeas. Add 3 cups of canned chickpeas in this recipe.
- While using spices, you may adjust the quantities as per your requirements.
- If you wish to cook this curry with ghee instead of oil, do it. But then, it won’t be vegan.
- Don’t have dry mango powder? Use lemon juice instead. But add in the end, just before removing the pan from heat.
- Cooking for a lot of people? You may double or triple the measurements in the recipe adjusting the ground spices and seasonings as needed.
FAQs
Why couldn’t I get a dark black color in the chole?
The black color in this Amritsari Chole comes from the tea leaves/tea bags. So, it could be due to the type and quality of these that the chole didn’t get the desired color.
Can I add lemon juice instead of amchur?
Yes, you can add lemon juice instead of amchur. Just make sure that you at it in the end, just before taking off the pan from heat.
How do I cook this if I’m using canned chickpeas?
If you are using canned chickpeas, which are pre-cooked, then you only have to prepare the base gravy. Once that is made, add the chickpeas in it and simmer till the gravy thickens and reduces.
Can I make this recipe with black chana instead of kabuli chana?
You can try making it. However, the taste will differ as black chana has a different taste and texture than kabuli chana.
Can I cook this chole in ghee?
Yes, you can definitely cook this chole in ghee. In that case, it won’t be vegan.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For Soaking Chickpeas
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas
- 3 cups water – for soaking
For Cooking Chickpeas
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 black cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger or ginger paste
- 3 dried amla pieces
- ½ teaspoon black salt or regular salt
- 3 cups water – for pressure cooking
Other Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (tightly packed) or 2 medium to large tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne or red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or pomegranate powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 cup water or chickpea stock
- 2 to 3 green chillies – slit
- salt as required
- 1 inch ginger – julienne
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Cooking chickpeas
- Firstly, rinse the chickpeas a few times in water. Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in water or for 8 to 9 hours.
- Drain all the water and rinse the chickpeas again once or twice. Again drain the water and set aside.
- Now you can cook the chickpeas in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker or Instant pot.
- Add the soaked chickpeas, cinnamon, black cardamoms, cloves, tej patta, crushed ginger, dried gooseberry pieces, black salt or regular salt in the stovetop pressure cooker or in the steel insert of the Instant pot. If you do not have dried gooseberry, then opt to use 1 tea bag or 1 teaspoon black tea powder or black tea leaves tightly wrapped in a muslin.
- Add 3 cups water and give a stir.
- For stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chickpeas on medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or more if required.
- For instant pot, pressure cook on high pressure mode for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Whether you have cooked the chickpeas in the stovetop pressure cooker or Instant pot, wait for all the pressure to fall naturally. Then only remove the lid.
- The chickpeas have to be tender with a melt in the mouth texture.
- Strain the chickpeas and reserve 1 cup stock together with the whole spices if you have used dried gooseberry. If you have used tea leaves or tea powder, then discard the stock.
Making onion tomato masala
- In a heavy frying pan or wok, heat oil. Add the finely chopped onions. Sauté onions stirring often until golden on medium-low heat.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped ginger and sauté the tomatoes till they become soft and mushy. The oil should separate from the onion and tomato mixture.
Making amritsari chole
- Add the cooked chickpeas and mix very well.
- Add all the ground spice powders, stir and sauté for one to two minutes.
- Now, add the strained chickpea stock or water, slit green chillies and salt as needed. Mix thoroughly.
- Simmer on medium heat until the curry thickens a bit. Mash a few chickpeas so as to thicken the curry.
- Check the salt and seasonings and add more if needed.
- Serve Amritsari Chole hot garnished with ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves with some bhatura, naan, roti, poori or steamed basmati rice.
Notes
- The spices and seasonings can be adjusted as per your preferences.
- You can also use 3 cups of canned chickpeas instead of dried chickpeas. Rinse the canned chickpeas in fresh water first a few times. Drain the water and then add the canned chickpeas to the onion-tomato masala base.
- Swap dry mango powder with lemon juice. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or as needed when the cooking the curry is complete. Instead of dry mango powder you can also add dry pomegranate seeds powder.
- You can add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the chickpeas. If you have used baking soda, then discard the stock and use water while making the curry base later. The same applies if you have used tea bags or tea leaves/tea powder. Discard the stock and use water.
Nutrition
This Amritsari Chole from the archives first was published on December 2012. It has been updated and republished May 2022.
The recipe turnout just fine but my chole colour was normal inspire of using tea powder. Though the gravy was nice.Thank you for sharing this recipe.
thanks ekta. depending on the quality and strength of tea leaves, the color will vary. most welcome.
Came out awesome. I am really fan of ur recipes and presentation of the whole act
thank you for sharing this feedback. glad to know.
Finger licking good. Tastes just like the ones you eat in dhaba
thank you natasha for this lovely feedback. thanks for the rating too. happy cooking
Very good
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.
hi dassana, i made this chole today and it turned out t nice.. thanks for sharing… actually i wanted to make this for a very long time but did not have tea bags… so what i did is tied some tea powder in a muslin cloth and tied it properly ….ha ha ..
tk care n regards
marina
thats a good trick marina 🙂 thanks for positive feedback.
Man thanku so much….i am biggest fan of all ur recipes ur website tought me how to cook good food …
thanks a lot zahiba.
Made this Chole in this style for the first time, wow is all I can say, they were so tasty and soft, and the gravy was just perfect not top thick and not watery, thank you for this amazing recipe,
Kind regards,
Fan from Birmingham
thanks a lot humera for this feedback. glad to know 🙂
Followed the chole recipe..turned out well. Thanks! It’s just that I dint get that much black in color..I did not use black salt.is that the reason?
the black color is due to the tea bags/tea leaves. so could be due to the type and quality of tea bags or tea leaves. black salt is not responsible for the dark color.
Hi…can I use green tea bags for this recipe?
niveditha green tea bags won’t give the dark color. hope this help’s you.
Brilliant! I made lot of your dishes and i must say, all of them are simple and tasty! Thankyou for your consistent updates. Made Chole today and they as usual turned out to be good.
P.S- I also made the green chillis stuffed with bhuna hua jeera and salt, equally good.
Thanx again
pleased to know this deepti 🙂 thankyou for your kind and positive words. glad you liked the chole and green stuffed chili too. you are always welcome.
Thank you very much. I find your blog the easiest to follow in order to make any dish. My husband also has complimented me on the various dishes I havr tried from your blog. Thank you very much once again.
welcome always shruti 🙂 and pleased to know this. thankyou for your positive words.
Hi Dassana,
I happened to come across your blog a couple of months or so ago and have been trying your recipes with your twist on them, since then. Love your recipes. You explain the step by step process very well with lovely photos, that would help anyone understand how to cook that particular dish without going wrong. Thank you so much for sharing these along with your tips.
I had a question on chole / channa, not specifically on the chole / channa recipe but with regards to the green chilli that is served in some Delhi / Punjabi restaurants. They serve the chole with a lovely fried green chilli on which some masala has been either sprinkled, or the chilli is stuffed with this and then fried. It’s been many years since I last had this, so was wondering if you know what this is called? It doesn’t seem to be a pickle (as the chilli seems pretty fresh though fried), but adds so much flavour to the chole, if one takes an occasional bite of this chilli! Could you share the recipe of this too please – if it’s not already on your blog?
thanks. And keep up the great work!
thanks a lot deepa. the chillies are stuffed with dry mango powder, salt and cumin powder (optional). i don’t know what they are called. there is one variation i make, where i stuff the chilies with cumin powder+salt+lemon juice mixture and pan fry them with a little oil. once they are fried, you can squeeze in some more lemon juice. they really taste good with dal-rice, curd-rice and khichdi. i will try to take pics of the fried chilies next time when i make punjabi chole.
Only soda and tea leaves we have to put in muslin cloth?
baking soda can be added to the chana directly. tea leaves you have to tie in a muslin cloth. you can also tie the whole spices in the same muslin in which tea leaves are there.
How much tsp of salt we have to put in cooker for boiling the chola’s?
you can add 1 tsp salt.
Hi….i am a beginner in cooking …Can u tell me how much salt we have to put in pressure cooker for boiling the chola’s?Sorry for asking silly question…..
neha, you can use rock salt (kala namak). if you don’t have rock salt then you regular salt. its alright. feel free to ask any query. we all learn at some time of life.
This was such an easy recipe and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing it!
welcome shuchi
amazing easy recipe everybody liked it so much at office and as well as at home yummy recipe one should try to make every sunday with puries.Thanks for such a tasty recipe.I made it first time and they were really YUMMY.
welcome rupali. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
This is probably one of the best dishes I’ve ever made!
Best part.. it was SO easy for something so tasty
You are my go to person for veg recipes.. ! I have also recommended your recipes to many friends and family and now all of us really enjoy your food! 🙂
I just wish someone started a nonvegrecipesofindia blog as well 😛
Also, I didn’t have muslin cloth or tea bags.. so i boiled the tea leaves in water separately and then strained the tea water into the chana and then cooked it in the pressure cooker.. Still tasted very nice.. 🙂
thanks harsha. good to know this. you can use dried amla instead of tea bags to give the color.
thanks harsha. thats a sweet comment from you. also thanks for sharing the blog with your friends.
Hi,
I’ve just discovered your wonderful blog, which has really inspired me to eat more pulses and veg, and I’m not a big fan of veg usually!
There’s a few recipes I can’t wait to try, including this one which I’ll be doing tonight. I don’t have black salt but I do have smoked salt which might work well?
Anyway, thanks for these lovely recipes!
Thanks Be for your kind words. You can try with smoked salt.
Hi.. First of all i want to tell you your recipes are amazing.. Love them.! Wheneva i wana cook somethin and i need a recipe i open vegrecipesofindia.. Recipes have never disappointed me.. Always turned out to b good.!
I had a question
What is the difference between “Daal Makhani” and “Daal Bukhara”
Except the kidney beans in daal makhani which are option anyways??
Please reply me back
Thanks
thanks pooja for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know this. you can have a look at both the recipes:
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/dal-bukhara-recipe-dal-recipes/
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/dal-makhani-restaurant-style-recipe/
you have to make and taste them to know the difference.
Hi Dasanna, I have tried quite a few of recipes from your website (mostly north indian dishes) and they have come out really good. I want to try this but I have a question. Is Baking soda & Baking powder different ?
Thank you
Lalitha
thanks lalitha. both are baking soda and baking powder are different. baking soda is just sodium bicarbonate. whereas baking powder is a dry mixture of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, an acidifying agent like cream of tartar and corn starch.
HI .. YOUR RECIPIE LOOKS AWESOME.. BUT IVE A DOUBT…. PRESSURE COOKING WITH TEA, WONT THE CHOLE GET TEA FLAVOR.. SINCE THE STOCK IS USED AS WELL?
BTW…THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING BLOG! 🙂
the tea flavor blends very well with the masala.. try this method. the chole tastes very good.
This is the recipe that made me fall in love with your blog!
I had tried several (and I mean SEVERAL) variations of this recipe and none of them tasted right… until I found this one. This dish is definitely far better than those you get in restaurants. ‘Perfectly balanced’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. Using this recipe, and learning it, has made me appreciate food at another level. I also have my mom loving chickpeas now. This recipe is a perfect comfort food. I like to eat it and then take a nap. It’s perfect.
I made this recipe every single week for months after coming across it until I had it memorized! I still make it at least once a month, sometimes more. It’s my favorite recipe. 🙂 You seriously changed the way my family eats. We love your recipes. We truly do. If you ever come out with a cookbook I will buy it. (And I would be sure to buy it for my friends too.)
all your comments have made my day today alli. feeling good and humbled too. thanks a lot for all your kind words. with chickpeas, it our comfort food too 🙂 in fact, you can also try this punjabi chole – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-chole-chickpeas-in-a-spicy-gravy/
a slight different method, but really good chickpeas curry. tastes great even with bread. mostly i may come with an ebook. lets see 🙂
Hi, if I am using canned chickpeas how do I incorporate the tea bags and whole spices to get the dark brown colour?
Thanks
skip the tea bags and add the whole spices to the oil, before you add the onions.
Dear Dassana,
Another hit diwh rocks my guests and bags me a mouthfull of praising…… thanks a millions
welcome dipti
Hey. If i am using canned chickpeas, how long should i let it be in the pressure cooker for along with the spices?
Thanks.
if the chickpeas are cooked then you just need to prepare the curry base and then add the chickpeas and simmer for some minutes till the gravy thickens and reduces.
Thank you 🙂
welcome sruthi
Hi… Want to try making this but can I use black channa (gram) instead of the Kabuli channa? Would it taste different?
the taste will be different. black chana has a different taste and texture than kabuli chana. still you can try.
As an Englishman growing up with the embarrassing excuse for Indian food served up here my first taste of proper chole was a revelation. It looked unappetising to me: a blackish red colour most odd to western eyes. But the taste! Sour, smoky, hot with dark spicy notes in perfect harmony and set off by a fresh green chutney. I had no idea what I was tasting but realised that I was in the presence of one of the great cuisines of the world. And from a street vendor!
This recipe is the dish I remember; uncompromisingly spiced and full of flavour. Thank you so much for posting it.
PS I too added a spoonful of tamarind instead of one of the tomatoes. It was good, slightly different but by no means a significant improvement. But would recommend what a friend suggested and I remember from street vendors – adding a tablespoon of chopped fresh onion and a squeeze of lemon with the coriander.
Sorry I forgot to add that I love your website and cook from it at least once a week. You have a large and growing fan base here in Sussex in cold southern England! Thanks again!
welcome andrew for this positive feedback. such genuine appreciation always motivates me. many street food vendors are known for their specialty dishes like chole, tikki (patties), pakoras (fritters), pav bhaji, vada pav and so on. they some time make very good use of spices.
Being a bachelor best recipe for me will try it this weekend
thanks
Tried this recipe today and it turned out to be really good. Great post!!
thanks banro
Tried Amritsary chole recipe today for a few special guests, it’s really mouth watering & very delicious.
thanks Y n mathur. you can also try amritsari dal and pindi chole.
Liked the recipe, tried today it’s awesome.
Can you please tell me substitute for black cardamom? What if I don’t get will it alter the taste? Thanks in advance.
black cardamom gives a nice earthy and smoky flavor. it will alter the taste as well as flavor and even the aroma. there is no substitute. if you don’t have then just skip them. the chole would still taste delicious.
Thank you very much
welcome
Will it make any difference to the taste if I don’t use tea bags or black tea in this recipe?
the taste would be a bit different without the tea bags. however the recipe can be still made without tea leaves.
Thanks for the reply.
welcome
This looks amazing. How would you make it without a pressure cooker or a crock pot? Also what is the ratio of water to be used?
kiran, i have never cooked chole without pressure cooker. once a friend had cooked and it has taken her hours to cook them. you will have to use an approximate estimation of adding the water as the water will keep on evaporating while cooking and if the water becomes less then you have to add more water.
i like photos the most they r more yummier than recipe themselves…
thanks
Dassana, I havent tried any of your recipes yet … just came across your blog today…. must say I really liked it … Well everyone gives their recipe step by step but you’ve even taken pictures on how the dish should look while cooking makes it even more easier and interesting… congratulations for share these wonderful recipes with everyone….
also you read most of the comments … you sure have a fan following … guess i’ll be joinin them soon 🙂
thanks gracy for writing these motivating words. generally, i like to share step by step pictorial recipes whenever i feel the recipe is too complicated and step by step photos will make it easier for readers to understand the recipe. keep visiting the blog and do share your feedback.
Hey this is a nice recipe, but when cooking for kids I don’t like adding tea leaves. What I do instead is I add lots of roasted cumin powder it will give nice color and flavor to chana.
thanks smriti for sharing your tips.
This is a good recipe.i used black tea and pomegranate tea bags along with a spiced fruit tea bag. I added chopped frozen peaches and a squirt of fish sauce, soy and a tbs. brown sugar…and finished with chopped fresh cilantro when served. For breakfast I crush one Biscoff spiced cookie on top for crunch….
thanks sherry for sharing your innovation of this recipe.
Hi,
I tried the above amritsari chole recipe and it came out very well. Can you please tell what is the difference of adding the spices while cooking peas in cooker rather than the ordinary boil?
thanks siaa. when adding the spices while cooking the chickpeas, they absorb the flavor of the spices a bit. this won’t happen obviously when you cook the chickpeas without the spices. the stock with the spices also add a lot of flavor and taste to the recipe.
I am so glad I found this recipe. I used to have this every morning for breakfast at school in Amritsar. I NEVER got tired of it…especially when we had pooris.
simrit, i am glad you got your favorite chole recipe.
hey dasaana just wanted to let u know I made this recipe and I have posted it in my blog. I had a old chef reference with me that I have been carrying for the past 2 yrs shocking thing is u and him have the exact measurement, This guy name is rohan he is a chef… any chance u guys r cousins r a family member. well I loved the recipe thanks to u too. Only seeing ur recipe I got reminded of that recipe from my diary.
i shall check your post. i don’t know rohan. thats a good coincidence.
looks delicious!
I must say, you are good. I have seen and tried some of your recipes and I will follow to try almost all of them. I appreciate your hard work of cooking so well (as I can see from the dishes), clicking snaps, maintaining the website, etc.
I will request you to kindly also put on the website the following things:
1. Frequently used items, gadgets, ingredients, where do you buy them from, or where can we find them.
2. Menus for household or large scale parties. (with or without themes)
I hold you in high regards, Keep up the good work.
thanks for all the kind words. i have been thinking along the suggestions you have mentioned and will make a few pages. am sure it will help the readers too. there are a few helpful gadgets i use in the kitchen and i think i should share these with my reader along with the ingredients etc. thanks once again.
Hey a very Good Morning Dassana!!!!
your recipe for amritsari chole is just commendable… i have always been wanted 2 make dark brown coloured chole but never got it right…i used to end up ending adding lots of garam masala thinking it will help change the colour…
But today i tried using tea bags while putting in cooker and it doesnot burst at all, leaving behind nice dark brown colour….
thanks a lot…. have been following all ur recipes and it had helped me turn to a better cook…. nd the best part is you explain and have easy accessible solutions and options for everything… nd yes ur pics r quite attractive
Have a good day:)
hi khushboo, firstly thanks for all your comments. secondly cooking is easy and not difficult, just that one needs to add the ingredients in proper measures and cook with love & patience. the dark colored chole can be achieved either using tea bags or adding dried amla. but both ways the chole turns out good.
Dassana, these chole look delicious, the kind that want me to make them, soon:)
You have advised to put tea bags don’t you feel that the whole curry will smell tea?what is the specific advantage of adding tea bags or tea leaves.I usedto prepare without tea bags.please explain
the amristari chole curry does not smell of tea. there is a good amount of spices and in the curry. thats why the tea aroma or taste is not obvious. the addition of tea bags or tea leaves helps in coloring the chickpeas to a dark brown color which is a speciality of amristari chole. tea bags are used a substitute for amla powder which helps in darkening the chickpeas. also addition of tea bags help in digesting the chickpeas.
lovely presentation Dassana, we also cook Chole almost similar to your recipe..loved the color of the dish ..tempting :)!
nice recipe..will try it for sure..
do try the recipe meera.
My mom uses tea bags whenever she cooks chole, she says its good for health and helps in preventing all the stomach problems that can be caused because of chole.
The chole looks delicious. Love that texture and flavours too. My mother in law uses the same idea of adding tea bags into the cooker with the channa for colour and flavours.
My mouth is watering uncontrollably. The Chole looks so yum! I love your idea of adding tea bags into the cooker with the channa. I’m definitely trying that next time. Do the tea bags stay intact through the pressure cooking? No risk of bursting?
hey thanks susmitha. till now whenever i have pressure cooked, the tea bags have never burst. in fact this scary thought did not even cross my mind. but you can also add the tea leaves in a muslin and pressure cook the chickpeas.
This looks absolutely delicious! I am going to make it this weekend!
My mom uses stock of tamarind instead of tomatoes to get the tangy flavour. Tastes much better.
hi abhishek, i know of the tamarind paste being added to chole. there is one recipe i make with tamarind stock and it is yum. shall post soon on the blog. will also next time try with tamarind paste.