Chole Masala

Chole Masala

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of kabuli chana or chole soaked overnight with sufficient water
• 2 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 small garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger, crushed to a paste or ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder 
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1cup water
•  2 tbsp oil
• salt as required

• 2 black cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon/dalchini
• 3 to 4 peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1bay leaf / tej patta
• ¼ tsp carom seeds
• 1 tsp cumin pdr
• 1 tsp coriander pdr
• 2 Tea bags

•  chopped coriander leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse and soak the chole in enough water overnight add enough amount of water as the chole increase in size after soaking it. rinse it to give a dark color to the chole add tea bags or tea powder tied in a cleaned cloth.
2. In a pressure cooker add the chole along with the tea bag and then add water along with salt and pressure cook the chana for 8 to12 whistles the chana should be cooked well....
3. In a pan, take all the whole spices for the chole masala and on a low heat begin to roast them.
4. stir often and roast the spices till they get browned don't burn them.
5. Now the chana will be cooked n you will see a darker brown shade in the safed (white chana) remove the  tea bag Or cloth drain the water...
6. Heat oil in a pan add ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
7. Then add chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
8. Add tomatoes & saute them till they soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala then add the red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder.
9. Stir the masala and then add slit green chilies add the cooked chole n stir well.
10. Add salt n then add water stir and cover the chana.
11. Simmer on a low to medium flame you can also cook without the lid the gravy will thicken and reduce mash a few chana if u want this will help thicken the gravy. simmer till you get the consistency you prefer.
12. Garnish chole masala with coriander leaves.
13. serve  chole with bhaturas, pooris, rotis, chole also tastes good with steamed rice or jeera rice.