chole paneer | cottage cheese with chickpeas

Chole paneer recipe with step by step photos – spicy and delicious Punjabi curry made with cottage cheese and white chickpeas.

Punjabis love their Rajma masala, Dal makhani, Chole masala and parathas. There are many variations of making chickpea-based recipes and this is one more popular variation of chickpeas with cottage cheese.

This chole paneer does not use any chole masala and nor do you need to grind any masala. Just the regular Indian spices are added to the gravy. The dish is made in less time in a pressure cooker. But you do have to remember to soak the dried chickpeas for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.

Paneer chole goes well with rotis, parathas, pooris or naan or roomali roti. Also serve some onion slices and lemon wedges as a side accompaniment.

How to make chole paneer

1. soak 1 cup dried white chickpeas/kabuli chana or safed chole in enough water overnight or for 7 to 8 hours. 1 cup chickpeas is equal to 200 grams of chickpeas in weight. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas in water and keep aside.

2. The following spices-herbs will be added while cooking the chickpeas – in clockwise order: 1 tsp salt, 2 black cardamoms, 2 inch cinnamon, 3 dried amla (Indian gooseberry) pieces (substitute 1 black tea bag in place of amla), 2 small tej patta (Indian bay leaf) and 1 tsp ginger paste. You can skip the amla and the tea bag completely if you don’t have them.

3. take the spices-herbs and the chickpeas in the pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water. Stir.

4. cover tightly and pressure cook the chickpeas for 10 to 12 whistles.

5. the chickpeas should be cooked well. There should not be any bite in the chickpeas. They should have a soft melt in the mouth texture. Discard the softened amla pieces or tea bag and keep the cooked chickpeas along with the stock aside. If the chickpeas are not cooked, then pressure cook them again for 3 to 4 whistles or more and adding some water if required.

6. in another pan or kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and add ½ cup chopped onions.

7. stir and saute on a low to medium flame, till the onions are translucent or light golden.

8. then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

9. add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes.

10. stir the tomatoes.

11. saute the tomatoes, till they soften.

12. Add the spice powders – 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala & ½ tsp turmeric powder.

13. stir and saute for a minute.

14. add the cooked chickpeas along with its spices.

15. stir well.

16. then add 2 or 3 slit green chilies. Stir.

17. add 1 cup of the stock or stock+water.

18. season with salt as required. Do keep in mind, that 1 tsp of salt was added to the stock.

19. on a medium flame, bring the gravy to a simmer.

20. the gravy should thicken slightly. Mash a few chole or chickpeas with the back of the spoon. This helps in thickening the gravy.

21. here the gravy has thickened enough.

22. Now add paneer cubes (125 to 150 grams of paneer), ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and 1 tsp amchur powder. Amchur or dry mango powder can be added according to one’s taste.

23. stir and simmer the paneer for about 2 minutes on a low flame.

24. switch off the flame and add 1 or 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and some ginger julienne. You can also garnish chole paneer with the coriander leaves and ginger julienne instead of adding them.

25. stir finally and Serve the paneer chole with rotis or parathas or pooris or tandoori roti or naan bread. Also serve some onion slices and lemon wedges as a side accompaniment.

Few more delicious recipes

• Chickpea curry
• Amritsari chole
• Chana masala
• Methi chole
• Palak chole

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Chole Paneer

4.86 from 7 votes

By Dassana Amit

Spicy and delicious Punjabi curry of white chickpeas with cottage cheese.

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Prep Time 8 hrs

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 8 hrs 30 mins

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Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi

Course: Main Course

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Servings 4

Units

Ingredients

for cooking chickpeas

• ▢ 1 cup chole or 200 grams (dried white chickpeas or safed chana)
• ▢ enough water for soaking chole
• ▢ 3 cups water for pressure cooking chole
• ▢ 2 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• ▢ 2 cinnamon of one inch each
• ▢ 2 black cardamom
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 to 4 dried amla or 1 black tea bag (optional)

for gravy

• ▢ 1 medium onion, chopped or ½ cup chopped onion
• ▢ 2 medium to large tomatoes, chopped or ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 100 to 150 grams Paneer (cottage cheese)
• ▢ 2 to 3 slit green chillies
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 cup water or add as required
• ▢ salt as required

for garnish

• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
• ▢ ½ inch, ginger julienne

Instructions

cooking chickpeas

• Soak 1 cup dried white chickpeas (kabuli chana or safed chole) in enough water overnight for for 7 to 8 hours. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas in water and keep aside.
• Take the chickpeas along with 1 tsp salt, 2 black cardamoms, 2 inch cinnamon, 3 dried amla pieces (substitute one black tea bag in place of amla), 2 small tej patta (indian bay leaf) and 1 tsp ginger paste in the pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water. Stir.
• Cover tightly and pressure cook the chickpeas for 10 to 12 whistles.
• The chickpeas should be cooked well. There should not be any bite in the chickpeas. They should have a soft melt in the mouth texture. 
• Discard the softened amla pieces or tea bag and keep the cooked chickpeas along with the stock aside.

making chole paneer

• In another pan or kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and add 1/2 cup chopped onion.
• Stir and saute on a low to medium flame, till the onions are translucent or light golden.
• Then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Add 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes. Stir the tomatoes. Saute the tomatoes, till they soften.
• Add the spice powders - 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp garam masala & 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
• Stir and saute for a minute.
• Add the cooked chickpeas along with its spices. Stir well.
• Then add 2 or 3 slit green chilies. Stir.
• Add 1 cup of the stock or stock+water.
• Season with salt as required. Do keep in mind, that 1 tsp of salt was added to the stock.
• On a medium flame, bring the gravy to a simmer.
• The gravy should thicken slightly. Mash a few chickpeas with the back of the spoon. This helps in thickening the gravy.
• Now add paneer cubes (125 to 150 grams of paneer), 1/2 tsp kasuri methi & 1 tsp amchur powder. Dry mango powder or amchur can be added according to one's taste.
• Stir and simmer the paneer for about 2 minutes on a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and add 1 or 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and some ginger julienne. You can also garnish with the coriander leaves and ginger julienne instead of adding them.
• Stir finally and serve the paneer chole with rotis, pooris, parathas or naan. Also serve some onion slices and lemon wedges as a side accompaniment.

Notes

Substitutions:
1) dried amla - 1 tea bag
2) dry mango powder - 1 tsp dry pomegranate seeds powder or 1 tsp lime juice, you can also add as required and add lime juice towards the end.

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