I’ve always been enamored by Punjabi food. Whenever my family wanted an indulgent treat of carbs and calories, we usually ordered from a nearby Punjabi Dhaba. The Punjabis are not apologetic when it comes to their generosity with ghee or a smothering of butter in their dishes. They do not skimp on flavor. I don’t disagree with them. One of the most quintessential Punjabi dishes that almost always features on our plates is a generous portion of Pindi Chole. I’m not Punjabi, but my Pindi Chole recipe tries to stay as close as possible to its roots.
Why Chole Masala Is a Must In Our Home
As a mother of an active 9-year-old whose schedule and social life are a lot busier than mine, I am constantly trying to look for quick, nutritious ways to feed the family. Chole Masala and Pindi Chole are close cousins that fit this bill. Just dunk a piece of buttery, greasy-good bhature into a luscious tomato-y, tea-infused pindi chole, and you might have just sent yourself to heaven. That’s how ridiculously good it is. The best part is that if you have canned chickpeas on hand, this is one of the easiest low-effort dishes, perfect for feeding an army of hungry people.
Use this ingredient instead of Amchur in your Chole Masala Recipe
Pindi Chole is a richer and heartier cousin of the Chole Masala, named after the city it originated in, Rawalpindi. I draw inspiration from Kunal Kapoor, a popular TV chef from India, who uses dried amla to add tartness to his dish. His recipe packs a punch with a generous amount of chilies, but the addition of amla in his Pindi Chole piqued my interest.
Amla is a green fruit that has an overwhelming tart flavor. This was the first time I saw this ingredient being used in a savory recipe. The Tamilian in me had only seen the fruit being sold by pushcart vendors up until this point. It made perfect sense to use this fruit in place of ingredients like amchur, a powder made from dried green mango, commonly used in many North Indian recipes to add a hint of tartness to a dish. While we’re still on the topic of tart flavor profiles, the addition of amla got me thinking that I could even add a spoonful of my classic lime pickle recipe from Tamil Nadu to add a hint of tart and spice.
Tip – The first time I tried Kunal’s recipe to the T, we had sincere trouble in the aftermath of devouring every single fiery bite. In my recipe, I go very easy on the chilies. If you plan on following Kunal’s measurements for making Pindi Chole, I highly recommend you tread with caution, as his recipe can go from “spicy” to “too spicy” in a chili-second! Use the chilies wisely, as the varietals change from one region to another.
Why Black Tea Changes the Flavor of Chole Masala?
I used to only religiously use my mom’s recipe, which was a typical Chole Masala recipe that combines onions, tomatoes, and a wonderful blend of spices. No amla or chai, but a whole lot of soul. After years of experimenting and trying out “YouTube” tips, I discovered the intense flavor that a simple brew of black tea adds to a regular Chole Masala recipe.
There is a certain maltiness with a hint of earthy bitterness in the background. This combination adds a layer of mystery to the dish, creating a warm richness that I just can’t describe. When I tried this for the first time, I instantly matched the flavor with the chole masala we used to get at the Punjabi Dhaba years ago.
What you need to create this magic is to brew a cup of strong tea using Assam tea leaves or the strongest black tea leaves that you have. You can even use this tea from Kenya, which comes pre-mixed with spices for that extra oomph to your recipe. Add the brew along with some water when cooking the chickpeas.
How to make Pindi Chole Recipe
There are two ways to make a hearty Pindi Chole. One is using dried chickpeas. And the other with canned chickpeas.
Dried Chickpeas – These require soaking in advance, usually overnight. This helps break down some of the tough fiber that is naturally present in chickpeas. The softening of the chickpeas also helps cook them faster.
Canned Chickpeas – With canned chickpeas, I drain the liquid from the can and give the chickpeas a quick rinse making sure not to over rinse. This helps retain the nutritional value and it also leaves my mind to rest knowing that slimy water is not in there! (But did you know you could totally use that slimy water, called Aquafaba, in place of eggs in many baking recipes?)
Baking Soda – Another tip when making Pindi Chole is to add baking soda. Baking soda helps break the chickpea further. This is especially great if your chickpeas are old. Old chickpeas tend to take longer to cook and, in some cases, are inedible.
Print
Pindi Chole Recipe | Chole Masala Recipe
A richer, spicier version of Chole Masala, a chickpea stew recipe from Northern India.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans (skip the dried chickpeas if using canned)
- 3/4 cup Dried Chickpeas (skip the canned chickpeas if using dried )
- 1/4 cup Oil
Fresh Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp Garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 Green Chili (slit)
- 1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup Tomato Purée
- 3 cup Water
Amla-Tea Brew
- 1 tsp Loose Black Tea Leaves
- 3 Pieces Dried Amla
- 2 cups Water (add more if required)
Spices
- 1/2 tsp Asafetida or Hing
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Red Chili Powder (1 tsp in the dish and 1 tsp for garnish)
- 2 tbsp Chole Masala Powder
Garnish
- 2 tbsp Ghee (for garnish)
- 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala Powder
- 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves (chopped)
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Onion (finely chopped)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
Instructions
Soak the Chickpeas
- Soak dried chickpeas for 8-12 hours.
Make an Amla-Tea Brew
- Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot.
- Brew tea leaves and amla in it for 1-2 minutes.
Cook the Chickpeas
- Cook chickpeas and amla-tea brew in an Instant Pot for 4 mins on manual pressure, if using canned chickpeas.
- Cook for 40 mins or bean setting on the IP for dried chickpeas.
Make the Pindi Chole
- In a wok or kadai, add oil and 1 tbsp ghee.
- When the oil is hot, add onions, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Brown the onions.
- Add your spices – asafetida, turmeric, red chili powder, chole masala, and salt.
- Cook for 1-2 mins until the spices are bloomed and cooked through.
- Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 more mins.
- Add your chickpeas and adjust the consistency by adding more water.
- Let it simmer for 20-30 mins. The more you slow cook this, the better.
Make a red chili oil
- In a small pan, add the ghee. When the ghee is melted and starting to get hot, add the red chili powder.
- When the powder blooms, take off the heat and pour over your dish.
Garnish
- Garnish with coriander leaves, chopped onions, chaat masala, and lemon juice.
- Serve with Bhature or any flatbread, or even with plain basmati rice!
Notes
- Do not skip blooming the spices as the failure to do so will cause the chole to taste bitter and raw.
- I cook with canned chickpeas just because it is more convenient. The older dried chickpeas get, the harder they are to cook. If you cook frequently with chickpeas, dried chickpeas are the way to go.
- Use a teabag of the strongest black tea you can find. I prefer Tea India’s Orange Pekoe Tea Bags.
- Dried Amla is hard to find especially if you live in Western countries. Thank god for Amazon, we get a salted variant of dried amla in smaller chunks. I used these and adjusted the salt accordingly.
- I blend 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes and use the strained puree. Canned tomatoes lend a slightly more acidic profile to the dish. But no harm in reaching for a canned one if that’s what’s available!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooking, Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegetarian