Chole is a traditional Indian dish made with chickpeas simmered in a luscious tomato and onion gravy with spices.
Growing up, I never really had an appreciation for Indian food; I always felt like I was forced to eat it at home and because of that, I never really enjoyed it. As I grew up and went off to college, I began to appreciate it just a little bit more as I missed my mom’s home-cooked food. Then when I got married, sure enough, I married someone who LOVES Indian food and slowly I began to re-acclimate myself to our beloved cuisine. And now, here I am, with a great appreciation for our traditional foods and their complex flavors that come from the plethora of spices we use in Indian food.
That being said, I present you with my version of a Traditional Chole dish that’s a staple in my household. It’s a super easy pantry dish as I used canned chickpeas and canned diced tomatoes to make this and it doesn’t take much time at all to achieve the delicious flavor that this dish has to offer. People sometimes get overwhelmed with Indian cooking, but it’s important to remember that Indian food can be made with just a few staple spices. Sure, there are more complex recipes out there that require a lot more, but this dish right here, is made with simple ingredients that can be found in most households.
Adding the whole spices to this dish really takes it to the next level. Cooking them down from the very beginning allows for the flavors to release and gently permeate through the gravy as each layer of the dish is added. Don’t be afraid of using whole spices, even though they don’t melt into the dish, they add so much flavor and pizazz!
You can use fresh tomatoes for this dish as well. I would substitute the can of diced tomatoes with two cups of fresh diced tomatoes instead; cooking times may slightly vary if using fresh tomatoes. If you are using canned diced tomatoes, make sure to blend them up a bit or else your gravy will be too chunky and you won’t get the same results. I hope you guys try this out and enjoy it! I promise you’ll love the delicious smells that take over your kitchen and house while this is cooking; it’ll have your mouth watering!
Traditional Chole
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1 can diced tomatoes blended
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- salt to taste
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup coriander to garnish
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp of oil to a pan on medium heat. Once heated add cinnamon stick and bay leaf and let that cook for 1-2 min to release the flavors and aroma
- Add in chopped onion and sauté with whole spices until the onion starts to cook down and becomes transluscent. Then add the ginger paste, minced garlic and green chili and continue to cook until the raw smell goes away and the onion starts to brown
- Once the onions have browned, add in the blended tomatoes and allow that to cook together for 3-4 minutes
- At this point, add in all your spices: haldi, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and garam masala and salt. Mix thoroughly and let the flavors cook together for about 5-7 minutes until it starts to thicken and become like a paste. You should see the oil start to leave the sides of the pan
- Once the mixture has reduced into a paste, add 1 cup of water and mix on medium low heat. When it starts to simmer, add in your can of chickpeas, drained
- Allow the chickpeas to cook in the gravy for 3-5 minutes uncovered until you see it begin to thicken a bit. Then cover and simmer for another 6-8 minutes or until the chickpeas are soft and cooked
- Once everything is cooked, squeeze the juice from half of a lemon on it and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot!
Notes
- Enjoy this with a side of batura or paratha
- Don’t forget to squeeze the lemon on top, the acidity gives it a nice finish
