Go Back
–+ servings

Punjabi Chole Recipe | Garbanzo Beans Curry - Vegan + Gluten Free

Punjabi chole cooked in a medley of a home-made blend of spices. Enjoy this rich saucy preparation of garbanzo beans in Indian style. It's extremely aromatic, flavorful & delicious. Best enjoyed with hot Paratha (Indian flatbread smeared with ghee), Chapati (Indian flatbread) or rice.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Garbanzo Beans Curry, Punjabi Chole Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Meghna Chakraborty

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHOLE MASALA

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PUNJABI CHOLE GRAVY:

Instructions

THE CHOLE MASALA

  • Dry roast all the whole spices mentioned above on a non-stick skillet over medium-high flame until fragrant.
  • Allow them to cool for a few minutes.
  •  Grind them in a blender into a fine powder.
  • Store in an airtight container.
  •  It keeps good until 2-3 months.

PUNJABI CHOLE GRAVY

  • Soak the chole or the garbanzo beans overnight.
  • Next day pressure cook them for 10 mins in insta pot or just pressure cook them in a regular pressure cooker until well done. Add 1-2 black tea bags while pressure cooking.
  • The chole should smash easily when pressed with fingers.
  • Strain and preserve the stock. Throw the tea bags away.
  • Heat a pan on medium-high heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons oil.
  • Next gently add the green cardamoms, cloves, and the cinnamon sticks. Saute for a few mins.
  •  Next add the onion paste. Saute until the raw smell of the onion disappears.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a few more minutes until the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste disappears.
  • Now add the tomato puree. Saute for a few minutes.
  • Cover and cook because tomato paste splatters a lot.
  • When the tomato paste starts to change color add all the dry spices like turmeric powder, roasted cumin or jeera powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, salt and the home-made chole masala.
  • Give them a very good mix and saute until everything starts to smell wonderful and the oil starts to ooze out.
  • Next add the cooked garbanzo beans or the chole, give everything a good mix.
  • Pour in the reserved stock. Cover and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins.
  • In the meantime heat 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat.
  • When hot add the carrom seeds, the ginger juliennes and the deseeded and the slit green chilies.
  • When the chole gravy is ready add this mixture to the gravy and stir to mix.
  • Enjoy with hot parathas, chapatis, rice, bhaturas or even potato patties.

Notes

  • To get rich & dark colored garbanzo beans do use tea bags while boiling the chole. If you don't have any tea bags at home, just make a temporary pouch with a clean muslin cloth & 2 teaspoons regular black tea that you use at home to make chai.
  • The garbanzo beans should be fully cooked and you will know that by pressing them in between your fingers. When fully cooked they will smash up.
  • Do not throw the stock away, instead use it all up in your gravy. This will enhance the color of your gravy as well as add so much more nutrition.
  • You may use store bought chole masala instead of making your own but this will drastically affect the taste of this gravy.
  • The home-made chole masala makes all the difference and adds so much taste and flavor to the gravy.
  • The home-made chole masala can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
  • While cooking the gravy do not add everything together and saute. Add each ingredient as mentioned and saute them for a few mins so that the raw smell completely disappears and each ingredient gets well infused to the gravy.
  • If you want some tang in your chole gravy do add dry pomegranate seeds. Add them while grinding the onions.