Methi chole recipe with step by step photos. A spicy and tasty Punjabi curry made with fenugreek leaves and white chickpeas. A vegan recipe.
Methi (fenugreek leaves) and spinach are two greens that go very well with chole (white chickpeas).
This a healthy way to include greens in your diet. I love this combination as in my family they like chickpeas but are not so fond of greens. Whereas I am fond of greens and always try to find ways to include them in my diet.
There are many variations of Making methi chole as it is made differently in Punjabi, Rajasthani or Gujarati cuisine. E.g. In Rajasthani cuisine they don’t use onions and garlic.
I wanted to make this methi chole in Punjabi style where they use onions, garlic, tomatoes, amchur, garam masala and lot of spices. So this methi chana has distinct Punjabi flavors and is little sour and spicy in taste. They go well with roti, rice, naan, poori or bhatura.
I usually make Punjabi Chole recipe but this time, I wanted to include greens in my diet so I went for this recipe. Some more similar recipes for people who like chickpeas.
- Palak chole – white chickpeas with spinach leaves.
- Aloo chole sabzi – white chickpeas with potatoes.
- Chole paneer – white chickpeas with cottage cheese.
I served the methi chana with homemade naans which were made without yeast.
How to make methi chole
1. Soak 1.5 cups of chole (chickpeas) overnight in water.
2. Drain the water.
3. Next day add the chickpeas with 4 to 5 cups of water in the pressure cooker.
4. Also add black salt. Instead of black salt, you can add regular salt also. However, I find the taste better with black salt.
5. Pressure cook till they are completely cooked. Allow the pressure cooker to cool.
6. Drain the chickpeas water.
7. Add 1 large-sized chopped onion, 1 inch chopped ginger and 4 to 5 chopped garlic to the blender.
8. No need to add water. Blend the onion paste till smooth. Remove the paste and keep aside.
9. Add 2 medium-sized chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped green chili and 1 dry red chili to the blender.
10. Blend the tomato paste till smooth. No need to add water when making these two pastes.
11. Rinse 2 cups of fenugreek leaves (methi) in water, drain the water.
12. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready.
Making methi chole
13. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 1 or 2 big cardamoms, 2 green cardamoms, 1 or 2 inch cinnamon stick and 2 to 3 cloves.
14. Fry till the spices become fragrant.
15. Then add the onion paste.
16. Stir and mix well.
17. Fry till it gets browned.
18. This takes quite some time and you have to stir frequently so that there is even browning and the paste does not get burnt.
19. Then add tomato paste and add 2 tablespoons yogurt (curd).
20. Stir and mix well.
21. Now add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon fennel powder, ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala powder along with 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
22. Stir the spices well.
23. Then add the methi leaves.
24. Stir and saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
25. Add the cooked chickpeas and water.
26. Stir and mix well.
27. Add salt as required and mix well.
28. Mash a few chickpeas with the back of the spoon to slightly thicken the gravy.
29. Simmer till the gravy thickens slightly.
30. Lastly add 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder). stir and mix well.
31. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
32. Garnish with few coriander leaves.
Serve methi chole hot with roti, naan, puri, bhatura or rice.
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Methi Chole
Ingredients
for pressure cooking the chickpeas
- 1.5 cups dried white chickpeas (chana or chole)
- 4 to 5 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas
- black salt as required.
for onion paste
- 1 large onion
- 4-5 garlic
- 1 inch ginger
for tomato paste
- 2 medium size tomatoes
- 1 green chili
- 1 red chili
whole spices
- 1 or 2 inch cinnamon
- 1 or 2 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamom
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
other ingredients for methi chole
- 2 cups fenugreek leaves (methi leaves)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ or 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ or 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder (saunf powder)
- 1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur) or as required
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 3 or 4 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon yogurt (curd) - dairy or vegan
- 1 or 1.5 cups water
- few coriander leaves for garnishing (cilantro leaves) - optional
- salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in water.
- Next day, pressure cook the chickpeas with water and black salt, till they are completely cooked.
- Make the onion paste with garlic and ginger.
- And also make the tomato paste with green chili and red chili.
- No need to add water while making these two pastes.
making methi chole
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add all the spices mentioned under the list whole spices. Fry till the spices are fragrant.
- Then, add the onion paste and fry till it gets browned.
- This takes some time and you have to stir frequently, so that there is even browning and the paste does not get burnt.
- Add tomato paste and add yogurt.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida.
- Also add the fenugreek leaves, stir and sauté till the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
- Add the cooked chickpeas, water and salt.
- Mash a few chickpeas with the back of the spoon to slightly thicken the gravy.
- Simmer till the gravy thickens slightly.
- Lastly, add dried mango powder and stir. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Methi Chole hot with poori, bhatura, roti, naan or rice.
Yummy dish! I loved it .. I love all your recipes ????????
Thanks Dr. Reshmi
dassana, can you please add recipes like how to cook greens like amaranthus…I prepare very simple recipe by Frying jeera,garlic and dry red chilli and finally add saag and season with salt…always I either over cook saag or make it raw..it always spoils the taste of curry..
shree, i have one recipe of amaranth leaves, which you can check. its made with red amaranth but you can also make it with green amaranth. also you can check aloo methi which i prepare often. the aloo palak is made for fasting days, but you can add onions and garlic in it.
red amaranth sabzi – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/tambdi-bhaji-recipe-red-amaranth-sabzi/
aloo methi – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/aloo-methi-recipe-dry-aloo-methi-recipe/
aloo palak – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/aloo-palak-sabzi-vrat-ke-aloo-palak/
can we add few drop of lemon instead of amchur
shree, you can add few drops of lemon juice.