Chickpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana dish accompanied by Bhature are becoming more and more popular in Kolkata. 

This is mainly a North Indian and Punjabi cuisine. But nowadays this dish is becoming popular in all over India. But cooking styles and spices may vary and is customized according to individual preferences. 

This dish accompanied with Bhature can be served as a starter, lunch and even as dinner. This cuisine is served in classy restaurants, dhaba and also in road side food stalls. The prices varies from high to low, but what about the tastes?  I have not yet tried this dish in any expensive restaurant. Why shall I order for this so common food in any expensive restaurants? But I have eaten many times very tasty Chana Bhature from road side stalls in Kolkata in cheaper prices.  

Last week, I prepared Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala dish. Oh, that was very tasty, may be better than I tasted so far and also hygienically prepared by myself. 

So I am feeling an urge to share my Cheakpeas or Chole or or Kabuli Chana Masala Recipe with my blog viewers. Please read, prepare and send comment how my Cheakpeas Recipe is.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes 

Total Time : 50 minutes 

Serving : 4

Cuisine : Indian 

Author: Ruby Mukherjee 

I have excluded the overnight Cheakpeas soaking time.

Chickpeas - mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt, 1 cup◇

Protein (gm) : 14.53 

Energy (Kcal) : 268.96 

Sugars, total (gm) : 2.87 

Fiber total dietary (gm) : 12.46

Calcium, CA (mg) : 80.36

◇Source : Google search 

HOW TO MAKE CHEAKPEAS OR CHOLE OR KABULI CHANA MASALA 

Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala*

Dry uncooked Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana*

Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala ingredients* 

INGREDIENTS 

Cheskpeas : 1½ cup 

Turmeric : ¼ teaspoon 

Salt : ¼ teaspoon 

Tea leaf : 2 teaspoon 

Green cardamom : 2

Black cardamom : 1

Clove : 4

Cinnamon : 1 inch piece 

Bay leaf : 2

Cumin Seed : ¼ teaspoon 

Onion : 1 big size

Tomato : 1 big  or Tomato Sauce : 1 tablespoon

Ginger : 1 inch piece

Garlic : 4 cloves

Green chilli : 2 

Chana Masala* : 2 tablespoons

Oil or ghee for cooking : ½ cup

Water : As required 

Methods of cooking Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala 

Soaked Cheakpeas ' one of Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala Recipe ingredients*

Boiled Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana* 

Rinse Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli  Chana and soak in a big bowl overnight with enough water. 

Add the soaked Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana along with 4 cups of water in the Pressure Cooker. Do not add too much water or very less water. Do not cover the Pressure Cooker at first. Let the water in the Cheakpeas start boiling. 

When the foams appear on the surface, remove foams with the help of a spatula.

Now add the turmeric powder and salt. 

In the meantime, boil 2 teaspoon of tea leaf in 2 cups of water. After boiling  the tea leaf for few seconds, strain the tea water and add this strained tea leaf water in the Cheakpeas along with normal water. 

You can skip this, if you do not want the darken colour in your Cheakpeas Recipe. 

Now cover the Pressure Cooker. Cook for 7 to 8 whistles on medium heat. The chickpeas should be boiled well. When cooled, open the Pressure Cooker cover and check whether the Cheakpeas has softened enough. If not, boil again the Cheakpeas until has become tender.

If you have no time to soak the Chickpeas or you have forgotten to soak the chickpeas, you can soak them in a bowl in hot water. Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours. After 1 or 2 hours, start Pressure cook.

In the gas oven on medium flame, put a pan and add oil or ghee. I am using oil instead of ghee. Heat the oil. Add the black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds. Lastly add the bay leaves. Stir for 1/2  minute.

Make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic together. 

Now add the onion, ginger and garlic paste. Stir for 2-3 minutes till the paste turns brown. 

Add Chana Masala, tomato pieces or tomato sauce. Add more salt if required. 

Drain the boiled Cheakpeas. Keep aside the Cheakpeas boiling water for later use. 

Now add the boiled Cheakpeas in the pan.  Slit the green chillies and add in the pan. 

Now stir to mix well the boiled Cheakpeas along with the spices for 5 minutes. Give some time for Cheakpeas to absorb the spices. 

After sometimes, add water including the Cheakpeas boiling water which was kept aside. 

Stir occasionally.  Cook for some more times. When the gravy thickens, switch off the flame. 

Now the Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala curry is ready to serve. Garnish with onion slices. 

Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala*

Note :

In this Cheakpeas Recipe, I used ready made Chana masala, and all the Chana masala ingredients added in my Cheakpeas Recipe Chana Masala are ready made purchased from the grocery shop. 

If you do not want to use ready made Cheakpeas or Chole or Chana Masala, you can prepare Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala yourself. 

So I have given the Cheakpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana Masala ingredients and preparation process below for yourconvenience :

*Cheakpeas or Chole or Chana Masala Preparation 

Black Cardamom : 2

Black Peppercorn : 8

Green Cardamom : 2

Mace : 2

Dry Fenugreek (Kesuri Methi) : 1 tablespoons

Cinnamon stick – 1 inch

Nutmeg : 1

Star anise: 1

Clove : 2 – 4 cloves

Fenugreek Seed :  ¼ teaspoon 

Coriander Seeds : 1 tablespoon 

Asafoetida (Hing) : 1 pinch

Cumin Seeds : ½ teaspoon 

Dry Red Chilli: 1 or 2 according to your taste 

Carom Seed (Ajwain) : ¼ teaspoon 

Bay leaf : 2

Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) : ¼ teaspoon (optional)

Meanwhile, add all the whole spices for the Chickpeas or Chole or Kabuli Chana masala to a pan or skillet  Begin to roast them on a low heat till browned.

Let these roasted spices be cooled and then grind to make powder in a mixer grinder or grind on a grinding stone. 

Please feel to read my following recipe blog posts  :

Dudh Gokul Pitha Recipe
Alu Dum Recipe/ Potato Curry Recipe
Puri Making Recipe
Simple Hilsa Fish Recipe / Elish Machher Jhol
Raw Banana Kofta Curry Recipe/ Kach Kalar Kopta
Chaler Payesh Recipe/Rice Pudding Recipe
Mouth Watering Simple Dishes Recipes
Simply Delicious Recipes  

**All pictures uploaded here are taken by myself from my recipe preparation 

☆This photo was shared by my friend