Punjabi chole masala or Amritsari chole masala is a scrumptious recipe, from the town of Amritsar, Punjab. The chickpeas are cooked in a generous amount of ghee. Along with whole and ground spices, fresh chole spice powder, and herbs in an onion tomato curry. Chickpea curry is prepared in a few different ways in North India. Try my chana masala recipe here. I love Punjabi chole bhature, and so do my parents. So, mom used to make this chole recipe at least once every two weeks.
This Punjabi chole recipe gets this beautiful brown color, as the chickpeas are cooked with black tea bags and a few whole spices. Cooking the chickpeas this way renders the curry its beautiful brown color. This chole recipe is a popular Indian street food recipe in North India, which is served alongside bhature, onion salad, and chatpate aloo.
If you ask me what my favorite dish in Indian cuisine is. It is so hard to pick one. But, I can confidently say that I have inherited a love for chole bhature from my parents. They both love this dish and is their favorite.
This chole recipe is typically served with bhature. I am not a big fan of deep frying, so I make bhatura very rarely. I like to serve this Punjabi chole recipe with Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice when I make it during the weekdays! And if you want a weekday chole recipe, try my chana masala.
Jump to:
- What is Chole?
- Why You'll Love This Punjabi Chole Recipe
- Expert Tips to Make This Punjabi Chole
- Ingredients To Make This Punjabi Chole Recipe
- Step-By-Step to Make this Punjabi Chole Recipe
- Variations of This Chole Recipe
- Serving Suggestions for This Chickpea Curry
- Storage Instructions for Punjabi Chole Recipe
- Punjabi Chole Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
- More Indian Main Dishes Recipes You Might Like
- Chole Recipe | Punjabi Chole Masala
What is Chole?
Punjabi chole masala is a chickpea curry famous from the state of Punjab in India. This chickpea curry is famous as chole bhature. I believe this recipe was invented in Amristar, a town in Punjab, and is popular street food there. What makes this recipe different, is the way the chickpeas are cooked. I like to use black tea bags, while cooking the chickpeas, because the tea flavor is extracted, without tea leaves being mixed with the cooked chickpeas.
Traditionally this recipe is cooked in ghee, with whole and ground spices. I also like to make fresh chole spice powder to add to this recipe. But, of course, you can use store-bought masala too.
I make this recipe mostly during the festive season or when I am hosting my family and friends.
Why You'll Love This Punjabi Chole Recipe
This is one of my favorite curry recipes, that I make during special occasions and festivities along with my bhatura recipe. Here's why I think you'll love this recipe
- This recipe is smoky, herby, and spicy, with tanginess from dry mango powder which adds an oomph to this recipe.
- This curry is cooked with fresh whole and ground spices which adds a scrumptious depth of flavor.
- The chickpeas are boiled with black tea which adds a beautiful brown color to the curry.
- The recipe is easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
- This is a great recipe to make while hosting or for potlucks.
Expert Tips to Make This Punjabi Chole
- Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight.
- Boil the chickpeas with black tea bags and whole spices. If you don't want to use tea bags, you can also use dried amla (gooseberries) for this recipe.
- You can boil the chickpeas a day ahead and store them along with broth in the refrigerator.
- Making fresh chole spice powder makes a difference, but you can use store-bought chole spice powder too.
- You must use ghee generously in this recipe. If you want to make it vegan, use oil/ vegan butter instead.
- To make it gluten-free, skip adding asafetida.
- Cook the onions, along with aromatics until onions are golden brown.
- Mash about ½ cup of the boiled chickpeas, and add to the curry to thicken it.
- Slow simmer = delicious taste, so let the curry simmer on a low flame.
- Squeeze the juice of lime, drizzle cilantro, and end with a tempering of julienned ginger, green chilies, and Kashmiri red chili powder in ghee in the end!
Ingredients To Make This Punjabi Chole Recipe
Boiled Chickpeas - Boil the soaked chickpeas with tea bags and whole spices using the instant pot or pressure cooker.
Oil and Ghee - We will cook the curry using both oil and ghee.
Tempering Spices- I like to use cumin seeds and asafetida for tempering this recipe.
Herbs and Aromatics- I recommend adding cilantro stalks, kasoori methi, freshly pounded ginger garlic, and green chilies.
Curry Base- We will be using 1 cup of finely chopped onion, and puree one tomato in this recipe.
Ground Spices - We will be adding red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur powder, and chole spice powder.
Step-By-Step to Make this Punjabi Chole Recipe
Boil the Chickpeas
1. If you are making the bhaturas, prepare the dough before starting to work on the chickpea curry.
2. Add soaked and drained chickpeas to the instant pot or pressure cooker.
3. To this add 2.5 cups of water.
4. To make this Punjabi chole recipe, make a potli (bag) of spices. In a small muslin cloth, place 2 tea bags, or 2 teaspoons of loose black tea leaves, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom, 2-3 green cardamoms, 3 peppercorns, 2 cloves, and 1 medium bay leaf. Tie it, and place it in the instant pot or pressure cooker.
5. Close the instant pot lid, and press pressure cook. Manually adjust the time to 20 minutes, and pressure cook on high pressure. Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally.
6. Open the instant pot lid carefully, once the pressure releases naturally. Use tongs to take out the tea bags and whole spices. Keep it aside.
Make the Chole Spice Powder
7. Add dried 2 Kashmiri red chilies, 1 medium bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon carrom seeds, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 4 black peppercorns, 2 cloves and 2 black cardamoms in a pan.
8. Dry roast the spices until aromatic, while stirring it continuously. Let it cool.
9. Once the roasted spices have cooled completely, add the roasted spices to the spice grinder. To this add 1.5 teaspoons amchur powder. Grind the spices until powdered. Store it in an airtight container. Use this spice powder in my chana masala and chana pulao recipes.
Cook the Chickpeas Curry
10. Now in a heavy bottom pot, add ghee and oil. To this add cilantro stalks, kasoori methi, freshly pounded ginger garlic and green chilies. Saute for 30 seconds.
11. Add finely chopped onions. Cook them until golden brown.
12. To this add tomato puree, and ground spices. Add red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur powder, and chole spice powder. Mix well. Cook until ghee separates.
13. Garnish the Punjabi chole masala with cilantro.
14. In a small frying pan, add ghee. Once hot add julienned ginger and slit green chilies. Turn off the flame. Add Kashmiri red chili powder.
15. Drizzle on the prepared Punjabi chole masala before serving! It adds a scrumptious flavor to the chole recipe.
Variations of This Chole Recipe
- If you don't want to use the tea bags, for this Punjabi chole masala then add dried amla (gooseberries) instead.
- Add boiled potato to this chickpea curry recipe.
- You can also cut some paneer pieces and add them to this chickpea curry recipe.
- You can use black chickpeas to make this recipe instead of white chickpeas.
- Use canned chickpeas, black beans, or pinto beans to make this curry. Follow from cooking the curry steps.
Serving Suggestions for This Chickpea Curry
Chole bhature is a very famous dish enjoyed in north India. Here's you serve these perfect bhatura.
Serve the Punjabi Chole piping hot right off the pan, with Bhatura, or Jeera Rice. You can also serve some papadums and pickled onions on the side to complete the meal. If I am hosting, I always make mango lassi to go with this meal. You can make my popular classic rice kheer recipe, or Gajar Halwa to finish this delicious meal on a sweet note!!!
Storage Instructions for Punjabi Chole Recipe
Store the leftover chole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the Punjabi Chole Masala in the microwave as needed for 2 minutes. You can also freeze the chole, for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw the curry overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until warm to serve.
Punjabi Chole Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Start following the instructions for cooking the chickpea curry, and make this recipe.
Yes, you can. Add vegan butter, neutral flavored oil or vegan ghee to substitute ghee in this recipe.
Yes, you can. Add gluten-free asafetida or skip adding asafetida to make this recipe.
Yes, you can. Add 1.5 tablespoons of tomato paste to this recipe, instead of puree of 1 tomato.
Chana and chole both mean dried white chickpeas. White chickpeas are called Chana in Hindi, while chole in Punjabi.
Chana masala is a north Indian chickpea curry made with spices and chole spice powder. While chole masala is a recipe prepared in Punjab, which is brown, because of the way the chickpeas are boiled. A fresh spice mix of chole spice powder is prepared to add in Punjabi chole masala.
More Indian Main Dishes Recipes You Might Like
Chole Recipe | Punjabi Chole Masala
Ingredients
To Boil The Chickpeas
- 1 Cup Chickpeas
- 2.5 Cups Water
- 2 Black Tea Bags or 2 Teaspoons loose black tea leaves
- 1 Inch Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 3 Green Cardamoms
- 2 Cloves
- 3 Black Peppercorns
To Make The Chole Spice Powder
- 2 Dried Kashmiri Red Chilies
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 1 medium Bay Leaf
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Carrom Seeds
- 4 Black Peppercorns
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Amchur Powder
Cook the Chickpea Curry
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 2 teaspoons Oil
- 1 tablespoons Cilantro Stalks
- 1 tablespoons Kasoori Methi
- 1.5 tablespoons Ginger Garlic and Green Chili Freshly Pounded
- 1 Cup Yellow Onions Finely Chopped
- ½ Cup Tomato Puree Puree 1 Large Roma Tomato
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1.5 teaspoons Chole Masala
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For Garnishing
- 2 Tablespoon Cilantro Finely chopped
- Half Lime Juice of Half Lime
Prepare Second Tempering (optional)
- 2 teaspoons Ghee
- 2 Thai Green Chilies Slit into halves
- 1 inch Ginger Julienned
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
Instructions
Soak The Chickpeas
- In a bowl add 1 cup of chickpeas and 2 cups of water.
- Soak it for 6-8 hours.
Boil The Chickpeas
- If you are making the bhaturas, prepare the dough before starting to work on the chickpea curry.
- Add soaked and drained chickpeas to the instant pot or pressure cooker.
- To this add 2.5 cups of water.
- Make a potli (bag) of spices. In a small muslin cloth, place 2 tea bags, or 2 teaspoons of loose black tea leaves, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom, 2-3 green cardamoms, 3 peppercorns, 2 cloves, and 1 medium bay leaf. Tie it, and place it in the instant pot or pressure cooker.
- Close the instant pot lid, and press pressure cook. Manually adjust the time to 20 minutes, and pressure cook on high pressure. Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the instant pot lid carefully, once the pressure releases naturally. Use tongs to take out the tea bags and whole spices. Keep it aside.
Make the Chole Masala Spice Powder (Optional)
- Add dried 2 Kashmiri red chilies, 1 medium bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon carrom seeds, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 4 black peppercorns, 2 cloves and 2 black cardamoms in a pan.
- Dry roast the spices until aromatic, while stirring it continuously. Let it cool.
- Once the roasted spices have cooled completely, add the roasted spices to the spice grinder. To this add 1.5 teaspoons amchur powder. Grind the spices until powdered. Store it in an airtight container. Use this spice powder in my chana masala and chana pulao recipes.
Cook the Punjabi Chole
- Now in a heavy bottom pot, add ghee and oil. To this add cilantro stalks, kasoori methi, freshly pounded ginger garlic and green chilies. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add finely chopped onions. Cook them until golden brown.
- To this add tomato puree, and ground spices. Add red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur powder, and chole spice powder. Mix well. Cook until ghee separates.
- Garnish the Punjabi chole masala with cilantro.
- In a small frying pan, add ghee. Once hot add julienned ginger and slit green chilies. Turn off the flame. Add Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Drizzle on the prepared Punjabi chole masala before serving! It adds a scrumptious flavor to the chole recipe.
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